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Collection  de 
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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microroproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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filmage. 

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par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empieinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  ie  seco'.J 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparaitra  sur  ia 
derniAre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  seion  !e 
cas:  le  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN  ". 

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filmdt  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  §tre 
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de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  dn  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  has,  en  prenant  te  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  ia  mAthode. 


t     : 

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F 

4 

8 

0 

^ 


l^e  TA^\\€.   ocic 


«>'"^  '*?  s 


THE   BOYS 


Of 


GRAND  PR6  school. 


BT  THE   AUTHOR  OF 


"THE  B.  0.  W.  C,"  "THE  DODGE  CLUB,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED, 


BOSTON: 
LOTHROP,   LEE   &   SHEPARD   CO. 


y 


''S  f  ^  i,-  7.   ^-y 


f- 


Entered  according  to  Aet  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1870, 

By  lee  and  SHEPARD, 

In  the  OflSce  of  the  Librarian  of  Conn-ess,  at  Washlngtan. 


CONTENTS. 


I. 


PAOB 


The  Camp  in  the  Woods.  —  Weapons  of  War.  —  An  Inter- 
ruption.  —  An  old  Friend. — A  Mineral  Rod. —  Tre- 
mendous Excitement.  —  Captain  Corbet  on  the  Rampage. 
—  A  Pot  of  Gold 11 


II. 

The  Old  French  Orchard.  —  The  French  Acadians.  —  The 
ruined  Houses.  —  Captain  Corbet  in  the  Cellar.  —  Mys- 
terious Movements.  —  The  Mineral  Rod.  —  Where  is  the 
Pot  of  Gold  r  ■—  Excitement.  —  Plans,  Projects,  and  Pro- 
posals.     •••••..,,,28 

III. 

A  Deed  of  Darkness.  —  The  Money-diggers.  —  The  dim 
Forest  and  the  Midnight  Scene.  —  Incantation  assisted 
by  Casar,  the  Lniin  Grammar,  and  Euclid.  —  Sudden, 
startling,  and  terrific  Interruption.  —  Flight  of  the 
"  B.  0.  W.  C"  -  They  rally  again 43 

rv. 

The  Wonders  of  the  upper  Air.  —  Mr.  Long  calls  upon  the 
Boys  for  Help.  —All  Hands  at  hard  Labor.  —  Captain 

6 


96177 


6 


CONTENTS. 


Corbet  on  a  Fence.  —  The  Antelope  comes  to  Orief.  — 
Captain  Corbet  in  the  Orasp  of  the  Law.  —  Mr.  Long  to 
the  Rescue 66 


A  most  mysterious  Sound  in  a  most  mysterious  Place.  — 
What  is  it  t  —  General  Panic.  —  The  adventurous  Ex- 
plorers. —  They  are  baffled.  —  Is  Pat  at  the  Bottom  of  it? 
—  Bart  takes  his  Life  in  his  Hand,  and  goes  alone  to 
encounter  the  Mystery  of  the  Oarret 


88 


VI. 

The  great,  the  famous,  and  the  never-to-be-forgotten  Trial, 
—  Captain  Corbet  hauled  up  before  the  Ba/r  of  Rhada^ 
manthus.  —  Town  and  Gown.  —  Attitude  of  the  gcUlani 
Captain.  —  The  sympathizing  Townsmen.  —  Old  Zeke 
an  ',  his  Rat.  —  Mr.  Long's  eloquent  Oration,  ending  in 
the  Apotheosis  of  Captain  Corbefs  Baby.        .        .        . 


93 


VII. 

The  Valley  of  the  Gaspereaux.  —  Invading  the  Enemy's 
Territory.  —  Defiance.  —  Returning  Home  to  find  their 
own  Territory  invaded.  —  The  Camp.  —  The  missing 
Ones.  —  Where  are  they  f  —  The  Gaspereaugians  f       .  106 


VIII. 

Bart  and  Solomon  fall  into  an  Ambush,  and  ajler  a  des- 
perate Resistance  are  made  Prisoners.  —  Bonds  and 
Imprisonment.  —  Bruce  and  the  Gaspereaugians.  —  A 
Challenge,  a  Conflict,  and  a  Victory.  —  Immense  Senses 
tion  among  the  Spectators.  —  The  Prisoners  burst  their 
Bonds, —  Th^ir  Flight.  —  Recovery  of  the  Spoils  of  Wa/t,  114 


CONTENTS. 


IX. 


A  Banquet  begun,  but  suddenly  interrupted.  —  The  far-off 
Roar.  —  Off  in  Search  of  it.  —  Keeping  Watch  at  the 
Old  French  Orchard.  —  Another  Roar,  and  another  Chase. 
—  Soliloquies  of  Solomon.  —  Sudden,  amazing,  paral- 
yzing, and  utterly  confounding  Discovery.  —  One  deep, 
dark,  dread  Mystery  stands  revealed  in  a  familiar  but 
absurd  Form 127 

X. 

Irrepressible  Outburst  of  Feeling  from  the  Orand  Panjan- 
drum. —  He  enlarges  upon  the  Dignity  of  his  Office.  — 
Spades  again.  —  Digging  once  more.  —  At  the  old  Place, 
my  Boy.  —  Resumption  of  an  unfinished  Work.  —  Un- 
covering the  Money-hole.  —  The  Iron  Plate.  —  The  Cover 
of  the  ^^ Iron  Chest."—  Tremendous,  but  restrained  Ex- 
citement  141 

XI. 

Farther  and  farther  down,  and  sudden  Revelation  of  the 
Truth.  —  Rising  superior  to  Circumstances.  —  The  "  Pot 
of  Money,"  and  other  buried  Treasures.  —  They  lake  all 
these  exhumed  Treasures  to  Dr.  Porter.  —  Singular  Re- 
ception of  the  excited  Visitors 155 


XII. 

The  Doctor's  Proposal.  —  Blomidon.  —  The  Expedition  by 
Land.  —  The  Drive  by  Morning  Twilight.  —  The  North 
Mountain.  —  Breakfasting  amid  the  Splendors  of  Na- 
ture. —  The  illimitable  Prospect.  —  The  Doctor  tells  the 
Story  of  the  French  Acadians 


169 


8  CONTENTS. 

XIII. 

Plunging  into  the  Depths  of  the  primeval  Forest.  —  Over 
Rock,  Bush,  and  Brier.  —  A  toilsome  March.  —  The 
Barrens.  —  Where  are  we  f  —  General  Bewilderment  of 
the  Wanderers.  —  The  Doctor  has  lost  his  Way.  —  Emer- 
ging suddenly  at  the  Edge  of  a  giant  Cliff  with  the  Boom 
of  the  Surf  beneath •        .  187 

XIV. 

Woods,  Precipices,  Mists,  and  Ocean  Waves.  —  The  Party 
divided,  and  each  Half  departs  to  seek  its  separate  For' 
tune.  —  Pat  shows  how  to  go  in  a  straight  Line.  —  Pat 
and  the  Porcupine.  —  In  Cliase  after  Pat.  —  Disappear- 
ance of  Pat.  —  A  lost  Pat.  —  Wanderings  in  Search  of 
the  Lost .  19r 

XV. 

AU  lost.  —  The  gathering  Gloom  of  Fog  and  of  Night.  — 
Sudden  Discovery.  —  The  lost  One  found.  —  A  Turkey 
with  four  Legs.  —  A  cheerful  Disc  ission.  —  Five  Hours 
of  Wandering.  —  When  will  it  end  t  —  Once  more  upon 
the  Tramp 211 

XVI. 

Sudden  and  unaccnvntahle  Reunion  of  the  two  wandering 
Bands.  —  A  tremendous  Circle  described  by  Somebody. 
—  Where  are  we  going  f  —  Scotfs  Bay,  or  IlalVs  Har- 
bor. —  Descent  into  the  Plain.  —  Twinkling  Lights.  — 
Sudden  Sound  of  Sea  Surf  breaking  in  the  Middle  of  a 
Prairie 220 


XVII. 

Old  Bennie  and  Mrs.  Bennie.  —  Old-fashioned  Hospitality. 
—  What  old  Bennie  was  able  to  spread  before  his  famished 


CONTENTS. 


9 


Chiestt.  —  A  Night  on  a  TTaymow.  —  A  Meeluded  Vitlag^. 

—  A  Morning  Walk.  —  Behind  Time,  —  Hurrah^  Boys  I  284 

XVIII. 

Oreat  Excitement.  —  What  is  it  t  —  Pat  busy  among  the 
small  Boys.  —  A  great  Supper ,  and  a  sudden  Inierrup' 
tion.  —  The  Midnight  Knell.  —  General  Uproar.  — 
Flight  of  the  Grand  Panjandrum.  —  A  solemn  Time. 

—  In  the  Dark.  —  Bold  Explorers.  —  The  Cupola,  and 

the  Abyss  beneath.  —  The  Discovery 244 


XIX. 

A  puzzling  Position,  —  How  to  meet  the  Emergency.  —  A 
strange  Suggestion.  —  Diamond  cut  Diamond,  or  a 
Donkey  in  a  Garret.  —  Surprise  of  Jiggins  on  seeing 
the  Stranger.  —  The  fated  Moment  comes. —  The  Donkey 
confronts  the  Garret  Noises.  —  The  Power  of  a  Bray.   .  258 

XX. 

Full,  complete,  and  final  Revelation  of  the  Great  Garret 
Mystery.  —  Confession  of  Pat.  —  Indignation  of  Solo- 
mon.  —  His  Speech  on  the  Occasion.  —  The  Authorities 
of  the  School  roused.  —  Pat  and  the  "J?.  0.  W.  C."  are 
hauled  up  to  give  an  Account 272 

XXI. 

Called  to  Account.  —  Mr.  Long  and  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."— 
They  get  a  tremendous  "  Wigging." —  Pat  to  the  Rescue. 
—  Mr.  Long  relaxes.  —  live  unbidden  Guest.  —  Captain 
Corbet  and  the  irrepressible  Babby.  —  Coming  in  Joy  to 
depart  in  Tears.  —  The  Relics  again.  —  A  solemn  Cere- 
mony. —  A  Speech,  a  Poem,  a  Procession,  all  ending  in 
Of  Consignment  of  the  exhumed  Treasu/re  to  its  Resting- 
place 280 


10 


CONTENTS. 


XXII. 


The  Boys  in  the  Museum.  -  The  Doetor^s  Lecture.  -  The 

TKfT!)  -  ^°"*^*''"''^-  -  ^  'Journey  to  the  Wharf.  1 
The  Antelope.  ~  Captain  Pratt.      ,        .  ^        „oft 

XXIII. 

tn.p^ion  of  m  «„„yn  -  CapM,,  PraU  to  the  /?««,.. 
-m    Engines  and  hi.  Industry— Up  .*.  ri.es,- 

ly  ho  II  go  for  Captain  Corbet  t     .  „,. 

•         •         •         •  ol4 

XXIV. 

""frrit^r'/f  ""''  "'"'""''  <'<"■>-'*.- Meeting  i«. 
ri?        "^    ;  "^  """  "^  ^"to^'—Pai  alone  v,ith 

829 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I. 


TTie  Camp  in  the  Woods,  —  Weapons  of  War,  — . 
An  Interruption.  —  An  old  Friend,  —  A  Mineral 
Rod.  —  Tremendous  Excitement.  —  Captain  Cor- 
bet on  the  Rampage,  —  A  Pot  of  Gold, 


^HE  spring  recess  was  over,  and  the  boys  of 
the  Grand  Prd  School  were  now  to  turn 
from  play  to  study.  The  last  day  of  their 
liberty  was  spent  by  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  at  their 
encampment  in  the  woods.  They  found  it  in 
so  good  a  condition,  that  it  was  even  more  at- 
tractive than  wlien  they  left  it.  The  dam  had 
proved  water-tight ;  the  pool  was  full  to  the  brim  ; 
the  trees  overlmng  with  a  denser  foliage,  while 
all  around  the  fresh-turned  earth  was  covered  with 
young  grass,  springing  forth  with  that  rapidity 
which  marks  the  growth  of  vegetation  in  these 


colder  regions. 


(Wi 


12 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRt   SCHOOL. 


It  was  early  in  the  day  when  they  came  up,  and 
they  were  accompanied  by  the  Perpetual  Grand 
Panjandrum,  who  carried  on  his  woolly  head  a 
basket  crammed  to  the  top  with  a  highly-diversi- 
fied and  very  luxurious  lunch,  which  it  had  been 
the  joy  of  that  aged  functionary  to  gather  for  the 
present  occasion. 

"  Dar !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  put  down  his  bur- 
den. "  Ef  you  habn't  enough  to  feed  you  dis  time, 
den  I'm  a  nigga.  Bar's  turkeys,  an  mutton  pies, 
an  hoe-cakes,  an  ham,  an  ginger-beer,  an  dough- 
nuts, an  de  sakes  ony  knows  what.  All  got  up 
for  de  special  benefit  ob  de  Bee  see  double  bubbls 
Bredren,  by  de  Gran  Pandandledrum.  You'll  be 
de  greatest  specims  ob  chil'en  in  de  woods  dat 
ebber  I  har  tell  on.  You  gwine  to  be  jes  like  wild 
Injins,  and  live  in  de  wilderness  like  de  prophets ; 
an  I'm  gwine  to  be  de  black  raven  dat'U  bring 
you  food.  But  now."  he  added,  "  de  black  crow 
must  fly  back  agen." 

"  0,  no,  Solomon,"  said  they,  as  he  started. 
"  Don't  go.  The  '  B.  0.  W.  C  won't  be  anything 
without  you.  Stay  with  us,  and  be  the  Grand  Pan- 
jandrum." 

"  Darsn't !  '^ 

"  0,  yes,  you  must." 

"  Can't,  no  how." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Darsn't.  Do  doctor  'd  knock  my  ole  head  off. 
De  doctor  mus  hab  ole  Solomon.     Can't  get  along 


m 


THE   BOYS   MAKE   PLANS. 


13 


widout  him.  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  Why,  de  whole  'Cad- 
emy'd  goto  tarnal  smash  ef  ole  Solomon  clar'd  out 
dat  way.  Gracious  sakes  I  Why,  belubbed  bred- 
ren,  I'm  sprised  at  you.  An'  me  de  Gran  Pan- 
drum  I " 

"  True,"  said  Bart,  gravely.  "  Too  true.  It  was 
very  thoughtless  in  us.  Grand  Panjandrum ;  but 
don't  say  that  we  asked  you.     Keep  dark." 

"  Sartin,"  said  old  Solomon,  with  a  grin.  "  Bar's 
no  fear  but  what  Pll  keep  dark.  Alius  been  as 
dark  as  any  ole  darky  could  be.  Yah,  yah,  yah ! " 
And  he  rolled  up  his  eyes  till  nothing  could  be 
seen  but  the  whites  of  them,  and  chuckled  all  over, 
and  then,  with  a  face  of  mock  solemnity,  bobbed 
his  old  head,  and  said,  — 

"  Far  well,  nios  wos'ful,  an'  all  de  res  ob  de  be- 
lubbed breddren." 

And  with  these  words  he  departed. 

After  this,  the  boys  gave  themselves  up  to  the 
business  of  the  day.  And  what  was  that?  O, 
nothing  in  particular,  but  many  things  in  gen- 
eral. 

First  and  foremost,  there  was  a  grand  jubilation 
to  be  made  over  the  encampment  of  the  "  B.  0. 
W.  C. ;  "  then  a  grand  lamentation  over  the  end  of 
the  recess.  Then  they  talked  over  a  thousand 
plans  of  future  action.  In  these  woods  there  were 
no  bears,  nor  were  there  any  wild  Indians ;  but  at 
any  rate,  there  were  squirrels  to  be  shot  at,  and 
there  were  Gaspereaugians  to  be  armed  against. 


14 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR*  SCHOOL. 


It  was  certainly  necessary,  then,  that  they  should 
have  arms  of  offence  and  defence. 

To  decide  on  tliese  arms  was  a  matter  that  re- 
quired long  debate.  One  was  in  favor  of  clubs ; 
another,  of  Chinese  crackers ;  a  third  had  a  weak- 
ness for  boomerangs  ;  a  fourth  suggested  lassos ; 
and  a  fifth  thought  that  an  old  cannon,  with  Bart's 
pistol,  and  the  gun,  would  form  their  most  efficient 
means  of  defence.  But  in  the  course  of  a  long 
discussion,  all  these  opinions  were  modified ;  and 
the  final  result  was  in  favor  of  the  comparatively 
light  and  trifling  arms  —  bows  and  arrows.  In  ad- 
dition to  these,  whistles  were  thought  to  be  desira- 
Dle,  in  order  to  assist  in  decoying  the  unsuspecting 
squirrel,  or  in  warning  off  the  prowling  Gaspereau- 
gian.  One  powerful  cause  of  their  unanimous 
decision  was  the  pleasing  fact,  that  bows,  arrows, 
and  whistles,  could  be  manufactured  on  the  spot 
by  their  own  jackknives.  Ash  trees  were  all 
around,  from  which  they  could  shape  the  elastic 
bow ;  tall  spruce  trees  were  there,  from  which  they 
could  fashion  the  light,  straight  shaft ;  and  there, 
too,  were  the  well-known  twigs,  from  which  they 
could  whittle  the  willow  whistle. 

It  was  jolly  —  was  it  not  ?  Could  anything  be 
more  so  ?  Certainly  not.  So  they  all  thought,  and 
they  gave  themselves  up,  therefore,  to  the  joy  of 
the  occasion.  They  bathed  in  the  pool.  They 
dressed  again,  and  lay  on  the  grass  in  the  sun. 
They  gathered  ash,  and  spruce,  and  willow.     They 


WHO   GOES   THERE? 


16 


collected  also  large  quantities  of  fresh,  soft  moss, 
which  they  strewed  over  the  floor  of  the  camp,  in 
which  they  at  length  sought  refuge  from  the  sun, 
and  brought  out  their  knives,  and  went  to  work. 

Here  they  sat,  then,  working  away  like  busy 
bees,  two  at  bows,  two  at  arrows,  and  one  at 
whistles,  laughing,  singing,  talking,  joking,  telling 
stories,  and  making  such  a  general  and  indiscrimi- 
nate hubbub  as  had  never  before  been  heard  in 
these  quiet  woods ;  when  suddenly  they  w^ere 
startled  by  a  dark  shadow  which  fell  in  front  of  the 
doorway,  and  instantly  retreated,  followed  by  the 
crackling  sound  of  dried  twigs. 

lu  a  moment  Bart  was  on  his  feet. 

"  WJio  goes  there  ?  "  he  cried,  in  a  loud  but  very 
firm  voice,  while  at  the  same  instant  the  thought 
flashed  into  his  mind,  and  into  the  minds  of  all  the 
others,  — 

The  Gaspereaugians  I  — 

Full  of  this  thought,  they  all  arose,  even  while 
Bart  was  speaking,  with  their  souls  full  of  a  des- 
perate resolution. 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  cried  Bart  a  second  time,  in 
still  louder  tones. 

A  faint  crackle  among  the  dried  twigs  was  the 
only  res  pose  that  came. 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  cried  Bart  a  third  time,  in  a 
voice  of  deadly  determination.  "  Speak  or  —  I'll 
FIRE  I " 

At  this  menacing  and  imperative  summons  there 


16 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND    PUt  SCHOOL. 


ii;; 


came  a  response.  It  came  in  the  shape  of  a  figure 
that  stole  forward  in  front  of  the  doorway,  slowly 
and  carefully ;  a  figure  that  disclosed  to  their  view 
the  familiar  form,  and  the  meek,  the  mild,  the  ven- 
erable, and  the  well-remembered  face  of  Captain 
Corbet !  Greeted  with  one  universal  shout  of  joy. 
"Here  we  air  agin,  boys,"  said  the  venerable 
commander,  as  he  stepped  inside,  and  looked  all 
around  with  a  scrutinizing  glance.  "  We've  ben 
together  over  the  briny  deep,  an  here's  the  aged 
Corbet,  right  side  up,  in  good  health,  and  comes 
hopin  to  find  you  in  the  same," 

"Corbet !  Corbet !  Captain  Corbet  I  Three  clieers 
for  the  commander  of  tlio  great  expedition  to  Blomi- 
don  !  "  And  upon  this  there  rang  out  three  cheers 
as  loud  and  as  vigorous  as  could  be  produced  by 
the  united  lungs  of  the  five  boys. 

Captain  Corbet  regarded  them  with  an  amiable 
smile. 

"  Kind  o'  campiin  out  ?  "  said  he  at  last.  "  I 
thought  by  what  you  told  me  you'd  be  up  to  some- 
thin  like  this,  an  I  come  down  thinkin  I'd  find  you  ; 
and  here  we  air." 

"  How's  the  baby,  captain  ?  "  asked  j^art. 

"  In  a  terewly  wonderful  good  state  of  health 
and  sperits  —  kickin  an  crowin  like  mad  ;  ony 
jest  now  he's  sound  asleep  —  bless  him.  I've  ben 
a-nussin  of  him  ever  senco  I  arrove,  which  I  feel 
to  be  a  perroud  perrivelege,  an  the  highest  paren. 
tialjy." 


ill 


A   DISKIVERY. 


17 


"  That's  right ;  and  now  sit  down  an  sing  us  a 


J) 


song 

"  VVal,  as  to  settin,  I'll  set ;  but  as  to  singin,  I 
hain't  the  time  nor  the  vice.  The  fact  is,  1  come 
down  on  businessJ^ 

At  this  Captain  Corbet's  face  assumed  an  ex- 
pression of  deep  and  dark  mystery.  Ho  had  a  stick 
in  his  hand  about  a  yard  long,  rather  slender,  and 
somewhat  dirty.  He  now  held  out  this  stick, 
looked  at  it  for  a  few  moments  in  indescribable  so- 
lemnity, then  closed  his  eyes,  then  shook  his  head, 
and  then,  putting  the  stick  behind  liis  back,  ho 
drew  a  long  breath,  and  looked  hard  at  the  boys. 

"  Business  ?  "  said  Arthur  ;  "  what  kind  of  busi- 
ness?" 

Captain  Corbet  looked  all  around  with  an  air  of 
furtive  scrutiny,  and  then  regarded  the  boys  with 
more  solemnity  than  ever.  He  held  out  his  stick 
again,  and  regarded  it  with  profound  earnestness. 

"  It's  a  diskivery,"  said  he. 

"  A  discovery  ?  "  asked  Bart,  full  of  wonder  at 
Captain  Corbet's  very  singular  manner ;  "  a  dis- 
covery ?    What  kind  of  a  discovery  ?  " 

"  A  diskivery,"  continued  Captain  Corbet ;  "  and 
this  here  stick,"  ho  continued,  holding  it  forth, 
"  this  here  stick  is  the  identical  individooal  article 
that's  made  the  diskivery  to  me.  'Tain't  everybody 
I'd  tell ;  but  you  boys  air  ditferont.  I  trust  youns. 
Do  you  see  that?"  shaking  the  stick ;  "  do  you  know 
what  that  air  is  ?     Guess,  now." 


.11 
«[ 

tl 


I  -I 


'I 


1 


18    THE  BOYS  OF  THE  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 

"  That  ?  "  said  Bart,  somewhat  contemptuously. 
"  Why,  wliat's  that  ?     It's  onl}^  a  common  stick." 

At  this  Captain  Corbet  seemed  deeply  offended. 
He  caressed  the  stick  affectionately,  and  looked 
reproachfully  at  Bart. 

"  A  stick  ?  "  said  he  at  last ;  "  a  common  stick  ? 
No,  sir.  'Tain't  a  stick  at  all.  Excuse  me.  Thar's 
jest  whar  you're  out  of  your  reckonin.  'Tain't  a 
stick  at  all ;  no,  nor  any  thin  like  it." 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  if  that  isn't  a  stick,  I  should 
like  to  know  what  you  call  one." 

"  0,  you'll  know  —  you'll  know  in  time,"  said 
Captain  Corbet,  whose  air  of  mystery  now  returned, 
and  made  the  boys  more  anxious  than  ever  to  find 
out  the  cause. 

''  If  it  isn't  a  stick,  what  is  it?  "  asked  Bruce. 

"  Wai  —  it  ain't  a  stick,  thar." 

"  What  is  it,  then  ?  " 

"  It's  —  a  —  ROD,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  slowly 
and  impressively. 

"  A  rod  ?  Well,  what  then  ?  Isn't  a  rod  a 
stick  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  not  by  a  long  chalk.  Besides,  this 
here's  a  very  pecooliar  rod." 

"How's  that?" 

Captain  Corbet  rose,  went  to  the  door,  looked  on 
every  side  with  eugcr  'scrutiny,  then  returned,  and 
looked  mysteriously  at  the  boys ;  then  he  stepped 
nearer ;  then  he  bent  down  his  head ;  and  finally 
he  said,  in  an  eager  and  piercing  whisper,  — 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   ROD. 


19 


►tuously. 
itick." 
iffended. 
I  looked 

Q  stick  ? 

Thar's 

Tain't  a 

L  should 

B,"  said 
J  turned; 
'  to  find 

Iruce. 


slowly 

rod    a 

9S,  this 


)ked  on 

ed,  and 

stepped 

finally 


■■ 


"  If 8  a  mineral  rod  /  '• 

"  A  mineral  rod  ?  " 

"  Yes,  siV,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  stepping  back, 
and  watching  the  boys  eagerly,  so  as  to  see  the  full 
eff'ect  of  this  startling  piece  of  intelHgence. 

The  eff'ect  was  such  as  might  have  satisfied  even 
Captain  Corbet,  with  all  his  mystery.  A  mineral 
rod  !  what  could  be  more  exciting  to  the  imagina- 
tion  of  bovs  ?  Had  they  not  heard  of  such  things  ? 
Of  course  they  had.  They  knew  all  about  them. 
They  had  read  of  mineral  rods  as  they  had  read  of 
)ther  things.  They  had  feasted  their  imaginations 
on  pirates,  brigands,  wizards,  necromancers,  alchy- 
mists,  astrologers,  and  all  the  other  characters 
which  go  to  make  up  the  wonder-world  of  a  boy ; 
and  among  all  the  things  of  this  wonder-world, 
nothing  w  is  more  impressive  than  a  mineral  rod. 
This  was  the  magic  wand  that  revealed  the  secrets 
of  the  earth  —  this  was  the  resistless  "  sesame  " 
that  opened  the  way  to  the  hoarded  treasures  of 
the  bandit  —  this  was  the  key  that  would  unlock 
the  coffiers,  filled  with  gold,  and  buried  deep  in  the 
earth  by  the  robber  chief  or  the  pirate  captain. 
WL^t  wonder,  then,  that  the  very  mention  of  that 
word  was  enough  to  excite  them  all  in  an  instant, 
and  to  turn  their  minds  from  good-natured  con- 
tempt to  eager  and  irrepressible  curiosity  ? 

"  Pm  no  fool,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  impressively 
—  '^  I  know  what  I'm  a  doin.  I  got  this  mineral 
rod  last  year,  and  went  round  everywhar  over  the 


% 


20 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND   FUt  SCHOOL. 


K' 


'I' 

J  if* 

i* ! 


Hi. 


8' 


ti 


hull  country.  It  didn't  come  natral,  at  fust,  but  1 
kep  on.  You  see  I  had  a  motive.  It  wan't  my- 
self. It  wan't  Mrs.  Corbet.  It  was  the  babby  I 
He's  a  growin,  and  I'm  a  declinin  ;  an  afore  he 
grows  to  be  a  man,  whar'U  I  be  ?  I  want  to  have 
somethin  to  leave  him.  That's  what  sot  me  up  to 
it.  Nobody  knows  anythin  about  it.  I  darsen't 
tell  'Mrs.  Corbet.  I  have  to  do  it  on  the  sly.  But 
when  I  saw  you,  I  got  to  love  you,  an  I  knew  I 
could  trust  you.  For  you  see  I've  made  a  diskiv- 
ery,  an  I'm  goin  to  tell  you  ;  an  that's  what 
brought  me  down  here.  Besides,  you're  all  fa- 
vored by  luck ;  an  ef  1  have  your  help,  it'll  be  all 
right." 

"  But  what  is  the  discovery  ?  "  asked  the  boys, 
on  whom  these  preliminary  remarks  made  a  still 
deeper  impression. 

"  Wal  —  as  I  was  a  sayin,"  resumed  the  captain 
— "  I've  been  a  prowlin  round  and  round  over  the 
hull  country  with  the  mineral  rod.  It's  full  of 
holes.  Them  old  Frenchmen  left  lots  of  money. 
That's  what  I'm  a  huntin  arter,  and  that's  what 
I've  found." 

These  last  few  words,  added  in  a  low  but  pene- 
trating whisper,  thrilled  the  boys  with  strange  ex- 
citement. 

"  Have  you  really  found  anything  ?  "  asked 
Bart,  eagerly.  "What  is  it?  When?  Wher-*? 
How?" 

Captain  Corbet  took  oflf  his  hat  very  solemnly, 


THE   COPPER   COIN. 


21 


boys, 


I 


and  then,  plunging  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  he 
drew  forth  a  crowd  of  miscellaneous  articles,  one 
by  one.  He  thus  brought  forth  a  button,  a  knife, 
a  string,  a  fig  of  tobacco,  a  pencil,  a  piece  of  chalk, 
a  cork,  a  stone,  a  bit  of  leather,  a  child's  rattle,  a 
lamp-burner,  a  bit  of  ropeyarn,  a  nail,  a  screw,  a 
hammer,  a  pistol  barrel,  a  flint,  some  matches,  a 
horse's  tooth,  the  mouthpiece  of  a  fog-horn,  a  doll's 
head,  an  envelope,  a  box  of  caps,  a  penholder,  a 
nut,  a  bit  of  candy,  a  piece  of  zinc,  a  brass  cannon, 
a  pin,  a  bent  knitting  needle,  some  wire,  a  rat  skin, 
a  memorandum  book,  a  bone,  a  squirrel's  tail,  a 
potato,  a  wallet,  half  of  an  apple,  an  ink  bottle,  a 
lamp-wick,  "  Bonaparte's  Oraculum,"  a  burning 
glass,  a  corkscrew,  a  shaving  brush,  and  very  many 
other  articles,  all  of  which  he  put  in  his  hat  in  a 
very  grave  and  serious  manner. 

He  then  proceeded  with  his  other  hand  to  unload 
his  other  pocket,  the  contents  of  which  were  quite 
as  numerous  and  as  varied ;  but  in  neither  of  the 
pockets  did  he  find  what  he  wished. 

"  Wal,  I  declar  !  "  he  cried,  suddenly.  "  I  re- 
member,  now,  I  put  it  in  my  waistcoat  pocket." 

Saying  this,  he  felt  in  his  waistcoat  pocket,  and 
drew  forth  a  copper  coin,  which  he  held  forth  to 
the  boys  with  a  face  of  triumph. 

Bart  took  it,  and  the  others  crowded  eagerly 
around  him  to  look  at  it.  It  was  very  much  w^orn ; 
indeed,  on  one  side  it  was  quite  smooth,  and  the 
marks  were  quite  effaced :  but  on  the  other  side 


22 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  VUt   SCHOOL. 


there  was  a  head,  and  around  it  were  letters  which 
were  legible.     They  read  this  :  — 

LOUIS  XIV.    ROI  DE  FRANCE. 

All  of  which  sank  deep  into  their  souls. 

"  It's  an  old  French  coin,"  said  Bruce  at  length. 
"  Where  did  you  get  it  ?     Did  you  find  it  yourself?" 

Caj  lin  Corbet  made  no  reply,  but  only  held  up 
his  mineral  rod,  and  solemnly  tapped  it. 

"  Did  you  find  it  with  that  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

The  captain  nodded  with  mysterious  and  impres- 
sive emphasis. 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Mind,  now,  it's  a  secret." 

"  Of  course." 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet  slowly,  "  it's  a  very 
serous  onder^akin ;  an  ef  it  wan't  for  the  babby, 
an  me  hopin  to  leave  him  a  fortin,  I  wouldn't  be 
consarned  in  it.  Any  how,  you  see,  as  I  was  tell- 
in,  I  ben  sarchin ;  an  not  long  before  we  sailed 
I  was  out  one  day  with  the  mineral  rod,  an  it 
pinted  —  it  pinted  —  it  did  —  in  one  spot.  It's 
an  ole  French  cellar.  Thar's  a  pot  of  gold  buried 
thar,  hoys — that  I  know.  The  mineral  rod  turned 
down  hard." 

"  And  did  you  dig  there  ?  "  asked  Bart,  anxious- 
ly.    "Didyou  try  it?" 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head. 

"  I  hadn't  a  shovel.  Besides,  I  was  afeard  I 
might  be  seen.     Then,  agin,  I  wanted  help." 

"  But  didn't  you  find  this  coin  there  ?  " 


THE   BURIED   TREASURE. 


2.-{ 


Captain  Corbet  again  nhook  his  head. 

"  No/'  said  he.  "  I  found  that  thur  kine  in  an- 
other cellar  ;  but  in  that  cellar  the  rod  didn't  railly 
pmt.  So  I  didn't  dig.  1  went  on  a  sarchin  till  1 
found  one  whar  it  did  pint.  It  shows  how  things 
air.  Thar's  money  —  thar's  other  kines  a  buried 
in  the  ground.  Now  I  tell  you  what.  Let's  be 
pardners,  an  go  an  dig  up  that  thar  pot  of  gold. 
'Tain't  at  all  in  my  line.  'Tain't  everybody  that  I'd 
tell.  But  you've  got  my  confidence,  an  I  trust  on 
you.  Besides,  you've  got  luck.  No,"  continued 
the  captain  in  a  dreamy  and  somewhat  mournful 
tone,  "  'tain't  in  my  line  for  me,  at  my  age,  to  go 
huntin  arter  buried  treasure  ;  but  then  that  babby  ! 
Every  look,  every  cry,  every  crow,  that's  given  by 
that  bee-lessed  offsprin,  tetches  my  heart's  core  ; 
an  I  pine  to  be  a  dewin  somethin  for  him  —  to 
smooth  the  way  for  his  infant  feet,  when  poor  old 
Corbet's  gone.  For  I  can't  last  long.  Yes  —  yes 
—  I  must  do  it  for  the  babby." 

Every  word  that  Captain  Corbet  uttered,  except, 
perhaps,  his  remarks  about  the  "  babby,"  only  add- 
ed to  the  kindling  excitement  of  the  boys.  A 
mineral  rod !  a  buried  treasure  I  What  could  be 
more  overpowering  than  such  a  thought !  In  an 
instant  the  camp  in  the  woods  eeemed  to  lose  all 
its  attractions  in  their  eyes.  To  play  at  camping 
out  —  to  humor  the  pretence  of  being  bandits  — 
was  nothing,  compared  with  the  glorious  reality  of 
actually  digging  in  the  ground,  under  the  guidance 


24 


TIIK    HOYS   OP   GRAND   PRfe   SCHOOL. 


II 


'•. 


i'. 


of  a  real  minoral  rod,  for  a  buried  pot  of  gold ;  yet 
it  ought  to  be  explained,  that,  to  these  boys,  it  wjih 
not  KO  much  the  value  of  any  possible  treasure 
that  might  be  buried  and  exhumed  which  excited 
them,  as  the  idea  of  the  enterprise  itself —  an  en- 
terprise which  was  so  full  of  all  the  elements  of 
romantic  yet  mysterious  adventure.  How  tremen- 
dous was  the  secret  which  had  thus  been  intrusted 
to  them  I  IIow  impressive  was  the  sight  of  that 
mineral  rod  !  How  overpowering  was  the  thought 
of  a  pot  of  gold,  buried  long  ago  by  some  fugitive 
Frenchman !  How  convincing  was  the  sight  of 
tliat  copper  coin  I  And,  finally,  how  very  appro- 
priate was  such  an  enterprise  as  this  to  their  own 
secret  society  of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  !  It  was  an 
enterprise  full  of  solemnity  and  mystery  ;  beset 
with  unknown  peril ;  surrounded  with  secrecy  and 
awe  ;  a  deed  to  be  attempted  in  darkness  and  in 
Bilence ;  an  undertaking  which  would  supply  the 
"  B.  0.  W.  C."  with  that  for  which  they  had  pined 
so  long  —  a  purpose. 

"  But  is  there  any  money  buried  ?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  Money  buried  ?  "  said  Bart.  "  Of  course,  and 
lots  of  it.  When  the  French  Acadians  were  ban- 
ished, they  wouldn't  take  their  money  away.  They 
must  have  J  it  behind  all  that  they  had.  And  they 
had  lots  of  it.  Haven't  you  read  all  about '  Bene- 
dict Bellefontaine,  the  wealthiest  farmer  of  Grand 
Pr^  '  ?  Of  course  you  have.  Well,  if  he  was  the 
wealthiest,  others  were  wealthy.     That  stands  to 


THE  BOYS  TAKE  COUNSEL. 


25 


reason.  And  it*  so,  wliat  did  tlioy  do  with  their 
wealth  ?  Whoro  did  they  keep  their  money  ? 
They  hadn't  any  banks.  They  couldn't  buy  stock, 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  What  did  they  do  with 
it,  then?  What?  Why,  they  buried  it,  of  course. 
That's  the  way  all  half-civilized  people  manage. 
That's  what  the  Hindoos  do,  and  the  Persians,  and 
the  Chinese.  People  call  it  *  hoardinf.^'  They  say 
there's  enough  gold  and  silver  buried  in  the  earth 
in  India  and  China  to  pay  off  the  national  debt ; 
and  I  believe  there's  enough  money  buried  about 
here  by  the  old  Acadians  to  buy  up  'A\  the  farms 
of  Grand  Pr^." 

Bart  spoke  earnestly,  and  in  a  tone  of  deep  con- 
viction which  was  shared  by  all  the  others.  The 
copper  coin  and  the  mineral  rod  had  done  their 
work.  They  lost  all  taste  for  the  camp,  and  its 
pool,  and  its  overarching  trees,  and  its  seclusion, 
and  were  now  eager  to  be  off  with  Captain  Corbet. 
Before  this  new  enterprise  even  the  greatest  of 
their  recent  adventures  dwindled  into  insignifi- 
cance. Captain  Corbet,  with  his  magic  wand, 
stood  before  them,  inviting  them  to  greater  and 
grander  exploits. 

A  long  conversation  followed,  and  Captain  Cor- 
bet began  to  think  that  the  pot  of  gold  was  already 
invested.  The  boys  took  his  mineral  rod,  which 
he  did  not  give  up  until  he  had  been  for  a  long 
time  coaxed  and  entreated ;  they  passed  it  from 
hand  to  hand  ;  each  one  closely  inspected  it,  and 


26 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


t ' 


I,  I 


balanced  it  on  his  finger  so  as  to  test  the  mode  in 
which  it  worked ;  each  one  asked  him  innumerable 
questions  about  it,  and  gave  it  a  long  and  solemn 
trial. 

"  But  where  is  the  place  ?  "  asked  Bart.  "  Is  it 
very  far  from  here  ?  " 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head. 

^'  'Tain't  very  far  off,"  said  he.     ''  I'll  show  you." 

"  Which  way  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

The  captain  waved  his  rod  in  the  direction  of 
the  Academy. 

"  V/hat !  That  way  ?  "  asked  Bart.  "  Are  the 
cellars  there  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  You  don't  mean  those.  What !  Just  behind 
the  Academy  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"It's  the  <01d  French  Orchard,'  then,"  cried 
Bart  — "the  'Old  French  Orchard.'  The  only 
cellars  in  that  direction  are  under  the  old  French 
apple  trees,  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  Is  that  the 
place  you  mean,  captain  ?  " 

"  That's  the  indentical  individool  spot,"  said  Cap- 
tain Corbet. 

"  The  '  Old  French  Orchard  ' !  "  exclaimed  the 
other  boys  in  surprise  ;  for  they  had  expected  to 
be  taken  to  some  more  remote  and  very  different 
place. 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  "  that  thar  place's 
'■\  very  pecooliar  plar(}.     You  see  thar's  a  lot  o' 


m 


THE   POT   OF   GOLD. 


27 


J 

I 


cellars  jest  thar,  an  then  the  ole  apple  trees  — 
they're  somethin.  The  ole  Frenchman,  that  lived 
up  thar,  must  hev  ben  rich." 

"  The  fact  is,"  exclaimed  Bart, "  Captain  Corbet's 
right.  The  Frenchman  that  lived  on  that  place 
must  have  been  rich.  For  my  part,  I  believe  that 
he  was  no  other  than  ^  Benedict  Bellefontaine,  the 
wealthiest  farmer  in  Grand  Prd,'  He  buried  all 
his  money  there,  no  doubt.  This  is  one  of  his 
French  sous.  Come  along,  boys ;  we'll  find  that 
pot  of  gold." 

And  with  these  words  they  all  set  out  along  with 
Captain  Corbet  for  the  "  Old  French  Orchard." 


if 


28 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


II. 


The  Old  French  Orchard.  —  Tlie  French  Acadians. 

—  The  ruined  Houses.  —  Captain  Corbet  in  the 
Cellar.  —  Mysterious  3Iovements.  —  The  Mineral 
Bod  —  Where  is  the  Pot  of  Gold  ?  —  Excitement. 

—  Plans,  Projects,  and  Proposals. 

>HE  hill  on  which  Grand  Pr<3  Academy  was 
built  sloped  upwards  behind  it,  in  a  gentle 
ascent,  for  about  a  mile,  when  it  descended 
abruptly  into  the  valley  of  the  Gaspereaux.  For 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back  of  the  Academy 
there  were  smooth,  cultivated  meadows,  which  were 
finally  bounded  by  a  deep  gully.  At  the  bottom  of 
this  there  ran  a  brawling  brook,  and  on  the  other 
side  was  that  dense  forest  in  which  the  boys  built 
their  camps.  Here,  on  the  cleared  lands  just  by  the 
gully,  was  the  favorite  play-ground  of  the  school. 
Happy  were  the  boys  who  had  such  a  play-ground. 
High  up  on  the  slope  of  that  hill,  it  commanded  a 
magnificent  prospect.  Behind,  and  on  either  side, 
were  dense,  dark  woods ;  but  in  front  there  stood 
revealed  a  boundless  scene.  Beneath  was  the 
Academy.     Far  down  to  the  right  spread  away  the 


.  I 


it- 


ACADIAN  SCENERY. 


29 


dike  lands  of  Grand  Pr<^,  bounded  by  two  long,  low 
islands,  which  acted  as  a  natural  barrier  against 
the  turbulent  waters;  and  farther  away  rose  the 
dark  outline  of  Horton   Bluff,  a  wild,  precipitous 
cliff,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gaspereaux  River,  mark- 
ing the  place  where  the  hills  advanced  into  the  sea, 
and  the  marsh  lands  ended.      Beyond  this,  again, 
there  spread  away  the  wide  expanse  of  Minas  Bay, 
full  now  with  the  flood  tide  —  a  vast  sheet  of  blue 
water,  dotted  with  the  white  sails  of  passing  ves- 
sels,  and    terminated   in   the  dim  and   hazy  dis- 
tance by  those  opposite  shores,  which  had  been 
the  scene  of  their  late  adventures  —  Parrsboro\ 
Pratt's  Cove,  and  the  Five  Islands.     Far  away  to- 
wards the  left  appeared  fields  arrayed  in  the  living 
green  of  opening  spring ;  the  wide  plains  of  Com- 
wallis,  with  its  long  reaches  of  dike  lands,  sep- 
arated by  ridges  of  wood  land,  and  bounded  by  the 
dark  form  of  the  North  Mountain.     Through  all 
this,  from  afar,  flowed  the  Cornwall  is  River,  with 
many  a  winding,  rolling  now  with  a  full,  strong 
flood  before  them  and  beyond  them,  till,  with  a 
majestic  sweep,  it  poured  its  waters  into  that  sea 
from  which  it  had  received  them.      Finally,  full 
before  them,  dark,  gloomy,  frowning,  with  its  crest 
covered  with  rolling  fog-clouds,  and  the  white  sea- 
foam  gleaming  at  its  base,  rose  the  central  object 
of  this  magnificent  scene, —  the  towering  cliff — 
Blomidon. 

Such  was  the  scene  which  burst  upon  the  eyes 


30 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I- 

r 


!:!l 


;!'! 


I!i| 

i''i' 


of  the  boys  as  they  crossed  the  brook,  and  ascended 
the  other  side  of  the  gully.  Familiar  that  scene 
was,  and  yet,  in  spite  of  its  familiarity,  it  had  never 
lost  its  attractions  to  them ;  and  for  a  moment  they 
paused  involuntarily,  and  looked  out  before  them. 
For  there  is  this  peculiarity  about  the  scenery  of 
Grand  Pr^,  that  it  is  not  possible  for  it  to  become 
familiar,  in  the  common  sense  of  the  word.  That 
scene  is  forever  varying,  and  the  variations  are  so 
great,  that  every  day  has  some  new  prospect  to 
offer.  Land,  sea,  and  sky,  all  undergo  incessant 
changes.  There  is  the  Basin  of  Minas,  which  is 
ever  changing  from  red  to  bine,  frorzi  a  broa<{ 
sea  to  a  contracted  strait,  hemmed  in  by  mud  flats. 
There  is  the  sky,  with  its  changes  from  deepest 
azure  to  dreamy  haze,  or  impenetrable  mist. 
There  are  rivers  which  change  from  fulness  to 
emptiness,  majestic  at  the  flow  of  tide,  indistin- 
guishable at  the  ebb.  There  is  Blomidon,  which 
every  day  is  arrayed  in  some  new  robe ;  some- 
times pale-green,  at  other  times  deep  purple  ;  now 
light-gray,  again  dark-blue  ;  and  thus  it  goes 
through  innumerable  changes,  from  the  pale  neu- 
tral tints  which  it  catches  from  the  overhanging 
fogs,  down  through  all  possible  gradations,  to  a 
darkness  and  a  gloom,  and  a  savage  grandeur,  which 
throw  around  it  something  almost  of  terror.  Then 
come  the  seasons,  which  change  the  wide  plains 
from  brown  to  green,  and  from  green  to  j'^ellow,  till 
winter  appears,  and  robes  all  in  white,  and  piles  up 


ACADIAN   SCENERY. 


31 


for  many  a  mile  over  the  shallow  shores,  and  in  the 
deep  channels  of  the  rivers,  the  ever  accumulating 
masses  of  heaped-up  ice. 

Yet  all  the  time,  through  all  the  seasons,  while 
field  and  flood,  river  and  mountain,  sea  and  forest, 
are  thus  changing  their  aspect,  there  hangs  over 
all  an  atmosphere  which  brings  changes  more  Avon- 
derful  than  these.  The  fog  is  forever  struggling 
for  an  entrance  here.  The  air  in  an  instant  may 
bring  forth  its  hidden  watery  vapors.  High  over 
Blomidon  the  mist  banks  are  piled,  and  roll  and 
writhe  at  the  blast  of  the  winds  from  the  sea.  Here 
the  mirage  comes,  and  the  eye  sees  the  solid  land 
uplifted  into  the  air ;  here  is  the  haze,  soft  and  mys- 
terious as  that  of  Southern  Italy,  which  diffuses 
through  all  the  scene  an  unutterable  sweetness 
and  tenderness.  Here,  in  an  instant,  a  change  of 
wind  may  whirl  all  the  accumulated  mists  down 
from  the  crest  of  Blomidon  into  the  vale  of  Corn- 
wallis,  and  force  vast  masses  of  fog-banks  far  up 
into  the  Basin  of  Minas,  till  mountain  and  valley, 
and  river  and  plain,  and  sea  and  sky,  are  all  alike 
snatched  from  view,  and  lost  in  the  indistinguish- 
able gray  of  one  general  fog. 

The  boys  then  had  not  grown  wearied  of  the 
scene.  Every  day  they  were  prepared  for  some 
fresh  surprise,  and  they  found  in  this  incessant  dis- 
play of  the  glory  of  nature,  with  its  never-ending 
variety  and  its  boundless  scope,  something  which 
so  filled  their  souls  and  enlarged  their  minds,  that 


i4 


w* 


lUi 

If;'  > 

I.  ■■' 
'I  I 


32 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^J  SCHOOL. 


the  perpetual  contemplation  of  this  was  of  itself  an 
education.  And  so  strong  was  this  feeling  in  all 
of  them,  that  for  a  moment  all  else  was  forgotten, 
and  it  was  with  an  effort  that  they  recollected  the 
captain  and  his  mineral  rod. 

Upon  this  they  turned  to  carry  out  their  pur- 
pose. 

In  this  place,  and  close  by  where  they  were 
standing,  were  several  hollows  in  the  ground, 
which  were  well  known  to  be  the  cellars  of  houses 
once  occupied  by  French  Acadians.  At  a  little 
distance  were  a  number  of  apple  trees,  still  grow- 
ing, and  now  putting  forth  leaf,  yet  so  old  that 
their  trunks  and  branches  were  all  covered  with 
moss,  and  the  fruit  itself,  on  ripening,  was  w^orth- 
less.  These  trees  also  belonged  to  the  former 
owners  of  the  houses  —  the  fallen — the  vanished 
race. 

And  at  the  bottom  of  one  of  these  holes  Captain 
Corbet  was  standing,  solemnly  balancing  the  min- 
eral rod  on  one  finger,  and  calling  to  the  boys  to 
come  and  watch  how  it  "  pinted  "  to  the  buried  pot 
of  gold. 

These  cellars  were  but  a  few  out  of  hundreds 
which  exist  over  the  country,  as  sad  memorials  of 
tliose  poor  Acadians  who  were  once  so  ruthlessly 
driven  into  exile.  The  beautiful  story  of  Evange- 
line has  made  the  sorrows  of  the  Acadians  famil- 
iar to  all,  and  transformed  Grand  Fy6  into  a  place 
of  pilgrimage,  where   the  traveller  may  find  on 


■;-i 


l\V\ 


1 


THE  ACADIANS. 


33 


every  side  these  sad  vestiges  of  the  former  occu- 
pants.     Into  this  beautiful  land  the   French  had 
come  first ;  they  had  felled  the  forests,  drained  the 
marshes,  and  reared  the  dikes  against  the  waters 
of  the  sea.     Here  they  had  increased  and  multi- 
plied, and  long  after  Acadie  had  been  ceded  to  the 
British  they  lived  here   unmolested.      They  still 
cherished  that  patriotic  love  for  France  which  was 
natural,  and   in  the  wars   did   not  wish  to  fight 
against  their  own  countrymen ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  resisted  the  French  agents  who  were 
sent  among  them  to  excite  insurrection.     A  few 
acted  against  the  British,  but  the  majority  were 
neutral.     At  length  the  British  enlarged  their  op- 
erations  in   Acadie,  sent   out  thousands  of  emi- 
grants, and  began  to  settle  the  province.     Then 
came  a  life  and  death  struggle  between  English- 
men and  Frenchmen,  which  spread  over  all  Ameri- 
ca, far  along  the  Canadian  frontier,  and  along  the 
Ohio  Valley,  and  southward  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  Frenchmen  of  Acadie  were  looked  on  with 
suspicion.     An  effort  was  soon  to  be  made  against 
Louisbourg  and  Quebec,  by  which  it  was  hoped 
that  the  French  power  would  be  crushed  into  the 
dust.     But  the  Acadians  stood  in  the  way.     They 
were  feared  as  being  in  league  with  the  French 
and  the  Indians.     Their  pleasant  lands,  also,  were 
eagerly  desired  for  an  English  population.     And 
so  it  was  determined  to  banish  them  all,  and  in  the 
most  cruel  way  conceivable.    Ordinary  banishment 


ft 

^  -'I 


'1 


[ 


!!'    I 


i'! 


iU 


34 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


would  not  do;  for  then  thoy  miglit  wander  to 
Canada,  and  add  their  liol[)  to  their  brethren :  so 
it  was  determined  to  send  them  away,  and  scatter 
them  over  the  coast  of  America.  This  plan  was 
thoroughly  carried  out.  From  Grand  Fi6  two 
thousand  were  taken  away  —  men,  women,  and 
children;  families  were  divided  forever,  the  dear- 
est friends  were  parted  never  to  meet  again. 
Their  fields  were  laid  waste ;  tlieir  houses,  and 
barns,  and  churches,  were  given  to  the  flames ;  and 
now  the  indelible  traces  of  this  great  tragedy  may 
be  seen  in  the  ruined  cellars  which  far  and  wide 
mark  the  surface  of  the  country.  Far  and  wide 
also  may  be  seen  their  trees,  —  the  apple  trees, — 
moss-grown,  and  worn  out,  and  gnarled,  and  decay- 
ing ;  the  broad-spreading  willow,  giving  a  grateful 
shade  by  the  side  of  brooks  j  and  the  tall  poplar, 
dear  to  the  old  Acadian,  whose  long  rows  may  be 
seen  from  afar,  rising  like  so  many  monuments 
over  the  graves  of  an  extinct  race. 

Wliere  is  the  thatch-roofed  village,  the  home  of  Acadian  farmers, 
Men  whose  lives  glided  on  like  rivers  that  water  the  wood  lands, 
Darkened  by  shadows  of  earth,  but  reflecting  an  image  of  heaven  ? 
Waste  are  those  pleasant  farms,  and  the  farmers  forever  departed 
Scattered  like  dust  and  leaves,  when  the  mighty  blasts  of  October 
Seize  them,  and  whirl  them  aloft,  and  sprinkle  them  far  o'er  the 

ocean. 
Nought  but  tradition  remains  of  the  beautiful  village  of  Grand  Pr6. 


iii.i 


Now,  the  idea  of  the  boys  was  not  by  any  means 
«o  absurd  as  may  be  supposed.     It  was  within  the 


I'll! 


THE   FRENCH   CELLAR. 


35 


bounds  of  possibility  that  a  pot  of  money  might  be 
in  a  French  cellar.  These  Acadians  had  some 
wealth ;  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  hoarding  it 
by  burying  it  in  the  earth,  and  the  bottom  of  the 
collar  was  by  no  means  an  unlikely  place.  So  sud- 
den had  been  their  seizure,  that  none  of  them  had 
any  time  whatever  to  exhume  any  of  their  buried 
treasure,  so  as  to  carry  it  away  with  him.  All 
had  been  left  behind  —  cattle,  flocks,  herds,  grain, 
houses,  furniture,  cloti  es,  and  of  course  money. 
Vague  tradition  to  this  effect  had  long  circulated 
about  the  country,  and  there  was  a  general  belief 
that  money  was  buried  in  the  ground,  where  it  had 
been  left  by  the  Acadians.  So,  after  all,  the  boys 
were  only  the  exponents  of  a  popular  belief 

The  cellar  might  have  originally  been  five  or  six 
feet  in  depth,  but  the  falling  of  the  walls  and  the 
caving  in  of  the  earth  had  given  it  a  shape  like 
a  basin;  and  the  depth  at  the  centre  was  not 
more  than  four  feet  below  the  surrounding  level. 
Around  the  edge  were  some  stones  which  marked 
the  old  foundation. 

The  boys  came  up  to  Captain  Corbet,  and  watched 
him  quietly,  yet  very  curiously.  As  for  the  illus- 
trious captain,  he  felt  to  the  utmost  the  importance 
of  the  occasion.  He  was  now  no  longer  the  cai> 
tain  of  a  gallant  bark.  He  had  become  trans- 
formed into  a  species  of  necromancer.  Instead  of 
the  familiar  tiller,  he  held  in  his  hand  the  rod  of  the 
magician.     All  the  solemnity  of  such  a  position  was 


t  < 


:W 


#■ 


w 


i  l"t 


;n 


'li  ! 


I'i, 


J 


1:1 ; 


P 


36 


THIO    HOYS   OP   GRAND    PR6  SCHOOL. 


expressed  in  his  venerable  fositurort.  After  throw, 
ing  a  benignant  smile  upon  the  boys,  his  eyes  re- 
verted to  the  rod,  which  was  still  balanced  on  his 
finger,  and  he  walked  about,  with  a  slow  and  solemn 
pace,  to  diiferent  parts  of  the  cellar.  First  he  went 
around  the  sides,  stopping  at  every  third  step,  and 
looking  solemnly  at  the  rod.  But  the  rod  preserved 
its  balance,  and  made  no  deflection  whatever  to- 
wards any  place. 

"  Go  down  to  the  middle,  captain,"  said  Bart, 
who,  in  common  with  the  other  boys,  had  been 
watching  these  mysterious  proceedings  with  in- 
tense curiosity. 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head  solemnly,  and 
lifted  up  his  unoccupied  hand  with  a  warning  ges- 
ture. 

"  H-s-s-s-s-s-s-a-  3-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-h  I "  said  Tom ;  "  don't 
interrupt  him,  Bart." 

Captain  Corbet  moved  slowly  about  a  little  longer, 
and  then  descended  to  the  middle  of  the  cavity. 
Here  he  planted  himself,  and  his  face  assumed, 
if  possible,  an  expression  of  still  profounder  solem- 
nity. 

And  now  a  strange  sight  appeared.  The  rod 
began  to  move ! 

Slowly  and  gradually  one  end  of  it  lowered,  so 
slowly,  indeed,  that  at  first  it  was  not  noticed ;  but 
at  last  they  all  saw  it  plainly,  for  it  went  down 
lower,  yet  in  that  gradual  fashion ;  and  the  boys,  as 
they  looked,  became  almost  breathless  in  suspense. 


CAPTAIN   COllUKT   WITH    ROD. 


37 


Tlioy  drew  nourcr,  they  crowdocl  up  closer  to  Cup- 
tain  Corbet,  and  watcli(  d  tliut  rod  as  though  all 
their  future  lives  depended  upon  the  vibration  of 
that  slender  and  rather  dirty  stick. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken.  Lower  and  lovv^er  went 
the  rod. 

It  trembled  on  its  balance  I  It  quivered  on  Cap 
tain  Corbet's  forefinger,  as  the  lower  end  went 
down  and  dragged  the  rod  out  of  its  even  poise. 
It  slipped,  and  then  —  it  fell. 

It  fell,  down  upon  the  very  middle  of  the  cellar, 
and  lay  there,  marking  that  spot,  which  to  the  minds 
of  the  boys  seemed  now,  beyond  the  possibility  of 
a  doubt,  to  be  the  place  where  lay  the  pot  of  gold. 

''  Thar,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  now  breaking  the 
silence.  "  Thar.  You  see  with  your  own  eyes 
how  it  pints.  That  thar  is  the  actool  indyvidool 
place ;  an  this  here's  the  dozenth  time  it's  done  it 
with  me.     O  !  it'^^  thar.     I  knowed  it." 

As  the  rod  fell,  a  thrill  of  tremendous  excite- 
ment had  passed  through  the  hearts  of  the  boys, 
and  their  belief  in  its  mystic  properties  was  so 
strong,  that  it  did  not  need  any  assurances  from 
Captain  Corbet  to  confirm  it.  Yes,  beyond  a 
doubt,  there  it  was,  just  beneath,  a  short  distance 
down  —  the  wonderful,  the  mysterious,  the  alluring 
pot  of  gold. 

At  last  the  silence  was  broken  by  Tom. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  he,  "  what  are  we  going  to 
do  about  it  ?  " 


\: 


t 


■i 


'     I 


;■  ( 


38 


THE  BOYS  OP  ORAND   PRfe  SCHOOL. 


;i 


*'  The  question  i'h/'  said  Phil,  "  shall  wo  d\^  it  or 
not?     I  move  that  wo  (\\'^  it." 

♦'  Of  courPL!,"  naid  Rnu-e,  "  we'll  dig  it.  Thoi'o's 
only  ono  answer  to  that  qiicislion.  Hut  when?  The 
iellowH  are  around  here  all  the  time." 

**  VV^i'll  have  to  do  it  after  dark."  said  Arthur. 

"Early  '*  the  morning  would  Ix;  the  best  time,  I 
♦link,    -    '1  J^iuce,  a  little  anxiously. 

**No,'^  s^nid  J>art ;  "there's  (mly  ono  time,  and 
one  hi))nr,  to  dig  money,  and  that  time  is  mid- 
night, and  the  hour  twelve  sharp.  If  we're  going 
to  dig  for  a  pot  of  money,  we'll  have  to  do  it  up 
in  proper  shape." 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Bruce,  who  still  spoke  in  a 
rather  anxious  tone.  "  What  are  you  talking  about? 
Early  morning  is  the  time." 

"  Early  morning  !  "  said  Bart ;  "  why,  man  alivpj, 
we'll  want  several  hours,  and  it'll  be  early  morning 
before  we're  done.  If  we  begin  at  early  morning 
we  can't  do  anything.  Some  of  the  fellows  are 
always  up  here  before  breakfast.  No  I  From  mid- 
night to  cock-crow,  that's  the  orthodox  time.  Be- 
sides," added  Bart,  mysteriously,  "  there  are  cer- 
tain ceremonies  we'll  have  to  perform,  that  can  only 
take  place  at  night." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  said  Bruce  ;  "  let's  tell  the  other 
fellows,  and  we'll  all  dig  together  in  broad  day." 

"  Tell  the  other  fellows  I  What  in  the  world  do 
you  mean  ?  "  cried  Bart.  "  Bruce  Rawdon,  are 
you  crazy  ?  " 


III    :1: 


iKl!  !!; 


I! 


PUKPARATIONH. 


31) 


No!  Hruco  Ilsiwdon  was  not  crazv.  IIo  was 
only  a  littlo  superstitious,  and  had  a  weakness  with 
regai'd  to  ghosts.  IIo  had  as  bravo  and  stout  a 
heart  as  ever  beat,  with  wliicli  to  confront  visible 
dangers  and  mortal  enemies ;  but  his  stout  heart 
(quailed  at  the  fanciful  terrors  of  tiie  invisible.  Yet 
he  saw  that  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  that  ho 
would  have  to  choose  the  midnight  hour.  So  ho 
very  boldly  made  up  his  mind  to  face  whatever 
terrors  the  enterprise  might  have  in  store. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Bart,  "  wo  ourselves  —  we, 
the  '  B.  0.  W.  C  —  must  do  it.  It  would  bo  dis- 
honor to  invite  the  other  boys.  This  belongs  to  us. 
We're  a  secret  and  mystic  order.  We've  never  yet 
had  anything  in  particular  to  do.  Now's  our  time, 
and  here's  our  chance.  We're  bound  to  get  at  that 
pot  of  gold.  The  captain,  of  course,  must  be  with 
us,  and  one  other  only ;  that  is  old  Solomon.  As 
Grand  Panjandrum,  he  must  be  here,  and  share  our 
labors." 

"  We'll  have  to  get  spades,"  said  Arthur.  "  I  sup- 
pose Solomon  can  manage  that." 

"  Spades  ?  "  said  Bart ;  "  I  should  think  so,  and 
fifty  other  things.  We  must  have  lights.  We'll 
have  to  make  a  row  of  them  around  the  edge  of  the 
hole." 

"  A  row  of  them  ?  "  said  Phil.  "  Nonsense  I  Two 
will  do." 

"  No,"  said  Bart.  "  You  must  always  have  a  row 
of  burning  lamps  around  whenever  you  dig  for 


)  -il 


1;  ' 


^V 


40 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfe  SCHOOL. 


I 

% 

I, 


:'l 


m 


I)-!  ! 


'  1 


^i!|! 


i^' 


money.  They  must  be  kept  burnipg  too.  One  of 
us  must  watch  the  lamps :  woe  to  us  if  any  one 
of  them  should  go  out !  You  see  it  isn't  an  ordi- 
nary work.  It's  magic !  Digging  up  a  pot  of 
gold  must  be  done  carefully.  Every  buried  pot 
of  gold  can  only  be  got  up  according  to  a  regu- 
lar fashion.  I've  got  a  book  that  tells  all  about 
it  —  how  many  lights,  how  many  spades,  the  prop- 
er time,  and  all  that.  Above  all,  we'll  have  to 
remember  to  keep  as  silent  as  death  when  we're 
working,  and  never  speak  one  word.  Why,  I've 
heard  of  cases  where  they  touched  the  pot  of 
gold,  and  just  because  they  made  a  sort  of  cry  of 
surprise,  the  pot  at  once  sunk  down  ever  so  much 
farther.  And  so  they  had  to  do  it  all  over  again." 
Did  Bart  believe  all  this  nonsense  that  he  was 
talking  ?  It  is  very  difficult  to  say.  He  was  not  at 
all  superstitious ;  that  is  to  say,  his  fancies  never 
aiFected  his  actual  life.  He  would  walk  through  a 
graveyard  at  midnight  as  readily  as  he  would  go 
along  a  road.  At  the  same  time  his  brain  con- 
tained such  an  odd  jumble  of  wild  fancies,  and  his 
imagination  was  so  vivid,  that  his  ordinary  common 
sense  was  lost  sight  of.  He  could  follow  the  lead- 
ings of  a  very  vivid  imagination  to  the  most  absurd 
extent.  If  he  had  been  laally,  in  his  heart,  su- 
perstitious, he  would  have  shrank  from  the  ter- 
rors of  this  enterprise.  But  his  real  faith  was 
not  concerned  at  all.  He  was  playing  —  very 
earnestly  indeed,  and  with  immense  excitement, 


i:  ii' 


m 


MIDNIGHT  MAGIC. 


41 


yet  still  he  was  only  playing — at  digging  for  money, 
just  as  he  had  been  playing  at  being  a  bandit,  or 
a  pirate.  He  was  quite  ready,  therefore,  to  com- 
ply with  any  amount  of  superstitious  forms.  The 
rest,  also,  were  very  much  the  same  way,  except 
Bruce.  He  alone  looked  upon  the  matter  with 
anxiety ;  but  he  fought  down  his  fear  by  an  effort 
of  pure  courage. 

It  was  only  imagination,  then  ;  but  still,  so  strong 
was  their  imagination,  that  it  made  the  whole  plan 
one  of  sober  reality,  and  they  discussed  it  as 
though  it  were  so. 

"  You  see,"  said  Bart,  as  he  threw  himself  head- 
long into  the  excitement  of  the  occasion — "you 
see,  we've  got  to  be  careful.  The  pot  of  gold  has 
been  revealed  by  the  mineral  rod.  If  we  had  dug 
it  up  by  accident,  of  course  we  could  have  got  it 
without  any  trouble.  But  it  has  been  revealed  by 
magic,  and  must  be  gained  by  the  laws  of  magic. 
I've  got  that  Book  of  Magic,  you  know,  and  it  tells 
all  about  it.  Lights  around,  in  number  any  multi- 
ple of  three,  or  seven.  Those  are  magic  numbers. 
Our  number  inside  the  magic  circle  will  be  seven. 
That's  one  reason  why  I  want  old  Solomon.  We'll 
have  to  keep  silent,  and  not  say  a  word.  We  must 
not  begin  till  midnight,  and  we  cannot  go  on  after 
cock-crow.  0,  we'll  manage  it.  Hurrah  for  the 
'  B.  0.  W.  C '  I " 

And  so,  after  some  further  discussion,  they  de- 
cided to  make  the  attempt  that  night.     It  was  to 


i 


(  ■, 


I 


h  i 


'  1 


42 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfi  SCHOOL. 


be  the  last  night  of  the  holidays,  and  was  more 
convenient  than  any  other.  Captain  Corbet  was  to 
meet  them  with  his  rod  and  a  spade.  They  were 
to  come  up  with  old  Solomon,  and  all  the  other 
requisites. 

With  these  arrangements  they  parted  solemnly 
from  Captain  Corbet,  and  went  back  to  the  Acade- 
my, bowed  down  by  the  burden  of  a  most  tremen- 
dous secret. 


i: 


!i  i 


ll'l  IP. 


;i  jii 


III. 

d  Deed  of  Darkness.  —  The  Money -diggers.  —  The 
dirn  Forest  and  the  Midnight  Scene.  —  Incanta- 
tion assisted  by  Caesar ^  the  Latin  Grammar ,  and 
Euclid.  —  Sadden  J  startling ,  and  terrific  Interrup- 
tion.—Flight  of  the  "jB.  0.  W.  a:'— They 
rally  again. 


I;   ijil 


A   DEED   OF   DARKNESS. 


43 


1  il 


JDNIGHT  came.  Before  that  time  the 
"  B.  0.  W.  C."  had  prepared  themselves  for 
the  task  before  them.  They  were  arrayed 
in  the  well-worn  and  rather  muddy  clothes  in 
which  they  had  made  their  memorable  expedi- 
tion. Solomon  was  with  them,  dressed  in  his  robes 
of  office.  The  venerable  Grand  Panjandrum  had 
gathered  all  the  lanterns  that  he  could  collect ;  but 
as  these  were  inly  five  in  number,  and  as  they 
wanted  twenty -'..iio,  there  had  been  some  difficulty. 
This  had,  at  length,  been  remedied  by  means  of 
baskets,  pails,  and  tin  kettles :  for  it  was  thought 
that  by  putting  a  candle  in  a  pail,  or  something  of 
that  sort,  it  would  be  protected  from  the  wind. 
Solomon  also  was  provided  with  matches,  so  as  to 
kindle  the  light  at  once  if  it  should  be  blown  out ; 


I  i 


7^ 


U 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


, 


ft- 


i'    if 

!    i!' 


'I  ot 


and  Bart  tried,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  to  im- 
press upon  him  the  necessity  of  watchfulness.  It 
was  Solomon's  duty  to  watch  the  lights,  and  noth- 
ing else ;  the  others  were  to  dig.  Besides  the 
pails,  pots,  lanterns,  candlesticks,  and  tin  kettles, 
tliey  carried  a  pickaxe,  four  spades,  and  the  Bust, 
—  which  last  was  taken  in  order  to  add  still  more 
to  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  —  and  after  dis- 
tributing  this  miscellaneous  load  as  equally  as  pos- 
sible among  the  multitude,  they  at  length  set  out. 

The  Academy  was  all  silent,  and  all  were  hushed 
in  the  depths  of  slumber ;  so  they  were  able  tc 
steal  forth  unobserved,  and  make  their  way  to  th^ 
*'  Old  French  Orchard." 

The  night  was  quite  dark,  and  as  they  walkec* 
up  the  hill,  the  scene  was  one  of  deep  impressive' 
ness.  Overhead  the  sky  was  overcast,  and  a  fresb 
breeze,  which  was  blowing,  carried  the  thick  cloud« 
onward  fast  through  the  sky.  The  moon  was  ship- 
ing ;  but  the  dense  clouds,  as  they  drove  past,  ob 
scured  it  at  times ;  and  the  darkness  that  ares') 
from  this  obscurity  was  succeeded  by  a  brighter 
light  as  the  moon  now  and  then  shone  forth.  Be* 
fore  them  rose  the  solemn  outline  of  the  dark 
forest,  gloomy  and  silent,  and  the  stillness  that 
reigned  there  was  not  broken  by  a  single  sound. 

After  walking  some  distance,  they  stopped,  partly 
to  rest,  and  partly  to  see  if  they  were  followed- 
As  they  turned,  they  beheld  beneath  them  a  scene 
equally  solemn,  and  far  grander.     Immediately  be 


'!'^    1 


THE  MONEY-DIGGERS. 


45 


low  lay  the  dark  outline  of  the  Academy,  and 
beyond  this  the  scenery  of  Grand  Py6  ;  on  the 
right  extended  the  wide  plains,  now  almost  lost  to 
view  in  the  gloom  of  night ;  on  the  left  the  Corn- 
wallis  River  went  winding  afar,  its  bed  full,  its 
waters  smooth  and  gleaming  white  amid  the  black- 
ness that  bordered  it  on  either  side.  Overhead 
the  sky  arose,  covered  over  with  its  wildly-drift- 
ing clouds,  between  which  the  moon  seemed  strug- 
gling to  shine  forth.  Beneath  lay  the  dark  face  of 
the  Basin  of  Minas,  which  faded  away  into  the 
dimness  of  the  opposite  shore,  while  immediately  ic 
front,  — now,  as  always,  the  centre  of  the  scene, — 
rose  Biomidon,  black,  frowning,  sombre,  as  though 
this  were  the  very  centre  from  which  emanated  all 
the  shadows  of  the  night. 

At  the  top  of  the  hill  they  met  Captain  Corbet, 
who  had  a  spade  on  his  shoulder. 

"  It's  rayther  dark,"  said  he,  in  a  pensive  tone. 
"  Ef  I'd  aknowed  it  was  to  be  so  dark,  I'd  post- 
poned it." 

"  Dark  !  "  said  Bart,  cheerily ;  "  not  a  bit  of  it.  It's 
just  right.  We  want  it  just  this  way.  It's  the 
proper  thing.  You  see,  if  it  were  moonlight,  we'd 
be  discovered ;  but  this  darkness  hides  us.  The 
moon  peeps  out  now  and  then,  just  enough  to  make 
the  darkness  agreeable.  This  is  just  the  way  it 
ought  to  be." 

They  moved  on  in  silence  towards  the  spot. 
Here,  on  three  sides,  the  forest  encircled  them ; 


m 


7^ 


■— 


46 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


'  i 


^l 


I'M 


I  si 


i 


ill'. 


below  them  was  the  deep,  dark  gully ;  and  the 
shadows  of  the  forest  were  so  hea^^y,  that  nothing 
could  be  distinguished  at  a  distance.  Captain 
Corbet,  usually  talkative,  was  now  silent  and  pen- 
sive, and  uttered  an  occasional  sigh.  As  lor  Solo- 
mon, he  did  not  say  one  word.  The  whole  party 
stood  for  a  moment  in  silence,  looking  into  the 
cellar. 

"  Come,  boys,"  said  Bart,  at  length,  "  hurry  up. 
The  first  thing  we've  got  to  do  is  to  make  the 
arrangements.     We  must  arrange  the  lamps." 

Saying  this,  they  all  proceeded  to  put  down  their 
lanterns,  pots,  kettles,  pails,  and  baskets,  around 
the  cellar,  so  as  to  encircle  it.  Inside  each  of  the 
pots,  kettles,  pails,  and  baskets,  a  candle  was  nut, 
while  the  Bust  was  placed  at  the  end  of  the  cellar 
nearest  the  wood. 

"  Now,"  said  Bart,  "  let's  all  go  into  the  cellar, 
and  Solomon  will  light  the  candles." 

They  went  into  the  cellar ;  but  Solomon  showed 
so  much  clumsiness  in  lighting  them,  that  Bart  had 
to  do  it.  This  was  soon  accomplished.  The  sur- 
rounding forest  sheltered  them  from  the  wind,  and 
the  lights  did  not  flicker  very  much,  except  at 
times  when  an  occasional  puff  stronger  than  usual 
would  be  felt.  Once  a  light  was  blown  out ;  but 
Bart  lighted  it  again,  and  then  they  all  burned 
very  well. 

So  there  they  stood,  in  the  cellar,  with  the  circle 
of  lights  around  them,  under  a  dark  sky,  at  the 
midnight  hour. 


pli!  IJ 


iiil 


THE   MIDNIGHT   SCENE. 


47 


"  I  feel  solemn,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  after  a  long 
silence  ;  "  I  feel  deeply  solemn." 

'•  Solemn !  "  said  Bart ;  "  of  course  you  do ;  so  saj 
we  all  of  us.     Why  shouldn't  we  ?  " 

"  I  feel,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  "  a  kind  of  pinin 
feelin  —  a  longin  and  a  hankerin  after  the  babby." 

"  0,  well,  all  right,"  said  Bart;  "  never  mind  the 
baby  just  now." 

"  But  I  feel,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  in  a  voice  of 
exceeding  mournfulness  —  "I  feel  as  though  I'd 
orter  jine  the  infant." 

*'  0,  never  mind  your  feelings,"  said  Bart.  "Have 
you  got  your  mineral  rod  ?  " 

"  I  hev." 

"  Very  well ;  try  it." 

"  I'd  ray  the  r  not.  I  —  I  —  Couldn't  we  post- 
pone this  here  ?     It's  so  solemn  !  " 

"  Postpone  it !  Why,  man,  what  are  you  thinking 
of?  Postpone  it !  Nonsense  !  Think  of  your  baby. 
Postpone  it  I    And  you  pretend  to  be  a  father  I " 

Captain  Corbet  drew  a  long  sigh. 

"  I  feel,"  said  he,  '*■  rayther  uncomfortable  here  ;  " 
and  he  pressed  his  hand  against  his  manly  bosom. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Bart.  "  Come  ;  try  the  min- 
eral rod." 

Captain  Corbet  took  the  rod,  and  tried  to  balance 
it  on  his  finger ;  but  his  hand  trembled  so  that  it  at 
once  fell  to  the  ground. 

The  boys  gave  a  cry  of  delight.  He  had  been 
standing,  as  before,  in  tlie  middle  of  the  cellar,  and 
the  rod  fell  in  the  former  place. 


'T 


■I'! 


m\ 


It. 


r 


48 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


"  Not  a  bit  of  doubt  about  it  I  "  cried  Phil. 
"  There  it  goes  again  I  Come,  let's  go  to  work, 
boys.'' 

"  But  we  must  have  some  ceremonies,"  said 
Bart.  "  It  would  never  do  to  begin  to  dig  without 
something." 

"  So  I  say,"  remarked  Captain  Corbet,  feebly. 

Meanwhile  Solomon  had  been  standing  in  his 
robes,  a  little  apart,  looking  nervously  around. 

"  Hallo,  Solomon !  "  cried  Bart. 

Solomon  gave  a  start. 

"  Ya  —  ya  —  yas,  sr." 

"  You're  not  watching  the  lights." 

"  Ya  —  yasr." 

'^  That  basket  has  fallen." 

'  Ya,  yasr,"  said  Solomon,  whose  teeth  seemed 
to  be  chattering,  and  who  seemed  quite  out  of  his 
senses. 

Bart  walked  up  to  him,  and  saw  at  a  glance  how 
it  was. 

"  Why,  old  Solomon,"  said  he,  gently,  "  you're 
hot  frightened  -:-  are  you  ?  It's  only  our  nonsense. 
Come,  Grand  Panjandrum,  don't  take  it  in  earnest. 
It's  all  humbug,  you  know,"  he  added,  dropping 
his  voice.  "  Between  you  and  me,  we  none  of  us 
take  it  in  earnest.  Come,  you  keep  the  lamps 
burning,  and  be  the  Grand  Panjandrum." 

At  this  a  little  of  Solomon's  confidence  was 
restored.  Ho  ventured  to  the  edge  of  the  cellar, 
and  lifted  up  the  basket  in  time  to  save  it  from 


t_ 


'n 


I 


INCANTATIONS. 


49 


burning  uj> ;  but  scarce  had  ho  dono  this  than  ho 
retreated  ;  the  gloom,  the  darkness,  the  magic  cere- 
monies, were  too  awful. 

"  Come,"  said  Tom,  "  let's  begin  the  ceremonies." 

Captaiii  Corbet  gave  another  sigh. 

"  I  fef*l  dreadful  anxious,"  said  he,  "  about  the 
infant ;  I'm  afeard  somethins  happened ;  I  feel  as 
if  I'd  orter  be  to  hum." 

"  All  right,  captain,"  said  Bart ;  "  we'll  all  be 
home  before  long,  and  with  the  joot  of  goldy  you 
know.  Come,  cheer  up,  for  the  ceremonies  are 
going  to  begin." 

"  See  here,  now,"  said  Captain  Corbet.  "  This 
here's  a  solemn  occasion.  I  feel  solemn.  It's  awful 
dark.  We  don't  know  what's  buried  here,  or  what 
will  happen  ;  so  let's  don't  have  any  heathen  cere- 
monies." 

"  0,  the  ceremonies  are  not  heathen,"  said  Bart. 
"  Each  of  us  i"  going  to  make  an  incantation  in 
the  most  solemn  language  that  we  can  think  of; 
so,  boys,  begin." 

"The  most  solemn  thing  that  I  can  think  of," 
said  Phil,  "  is  English  history ;  so  here  goes."  And 
stretching  forth  his  hand  solemnly,  he  said,  in  a 
whining  voice,  like  a  boy  reciting  a  lesson  :  — 

"  Britain  was  very  little  known  to  the  rest  of  the 
world  before  the  time  of  the  Romans.  The  coasts 
opposite  Gaul  were  frequented  hy  merchants^  who 
traded  thither  for  such  commodities  as  the  natives 
were  able  to  produced 


50 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


■     J 


::ii' 


"  The  most  solemn  tiling,  to  mo,"  said  Tom,  "  is 
Euclid."     And  then  he  added  in  the  same  tone, 

"  The  square  described  on  the  hypothenuse  of  a 
right-amjled  triamjle  is  equal  to  the  sum  of  the 
squares  described  on  the  other  tivo  sides  of  the  samey 

"  And  I,"  said  Arthur,  "  find  Arnold's  Latin  Ex- 
ercises the  worst.  The  most  solemn  thing  for  an 
invocation  is,  — 

"  In  temporihus  Ciceronis  Galli  retinuerunt  bar- 
bar  am  consuetudinem  excercendce  virtutis  omni 
occasione.     Balbus  oidificabat  murum  I " 

"  I,"  said  Bruce,  "  have  something  far  more 
solemn."  And  stretching  out  his  hand,  he  said,  in 
a  loud,  firm  voice,  — 

"  Dignus,  indignus,  contentus,  prwditus,  captus, 
andfretus,  also  7iatus,  satus,  ortus,  editus,  and  the 
like,  govern  the  —  hem  —  nominative  —  no  —  the  voc- 
ative —  no —  the  ablative  —  all  the  same  J  ^ 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Bart,  ''  the  most  solemn 
thing,  to  me,  is  Cassar.  The  way  they  teach  it 
here  makes  it  a  concentration  of  all  the  worst 
horrors  of  the  Grammar,  and  Arnold,  and  History, 
with  the  additional  horrors  of  an  exact  translation. 
0,  brethren  of  the  *  B.  0.  W.  C.,'  won't  you  join 
with  me  in  saying,  — 

"  Gallia  est  omnis  divisa  in  partes  tres,  quarum 
unam  incolunt  Belgoe,  aliam  Aquitani,  tertiam,  qui 
ipsorum  lingua  Celtce,  nostra  Galli  appellantur.  Hi 
omnes  lingua,  institutis,  legibus,  inter  se  differunt. 
Gallos  ab  Aquitanis  GarumnaJ^ 


I      II 


INCANTATIONS. 


51 


"  Here  I  "  cried  Captain  Corbet,  suddenly  inter- 
rupting  Bart ;  "  I  can't  stand  this  any  loiiger. 
It's  downwright  heathenism  —  all  that  outlandisli 
heathen  stuflf  I  Do  ye  mean  to  temp  fate  ?  Bewar, 
young  sirs  I  It's  dangerous  !  'Tain't  safe  to  stand 
here,  at  midnight,  over  a  Frenchman's  bones,  and 
jabber  French  at  him." 

«  French  ?  "  said  Bart.     "  It's  not  French." 

"  That  ain't  the  pint,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  who 
had  worked  himself  up  into  considerable  excite- 
ment. "  The  pint  is.  air  it  English  ?  No,  sir.  Does 
any  Christian  onderstand  sich  ?  No,  sir.  We 
hain't  got  no  business  with  sich." 

"  But  it's  Latin,"  said  Bart. 

"  Wuss  and  wuss,"  said  Captain  Corbet.  "  I 
take  my  stand  by  the  patriarchs,  the  prophets,  and 
the  postles.  Did  they  jabber  Latin  ?  No,  sir.  They 
were  satisfied  with  good  honest  English.  It  was 
a  solemn  time  with  them  thar.  English  did  for 
them.  So,  on  this  solemn  occasion,  let  us  talk 
English,  or  forever  after  hold  our  peaces." 

"  Well,  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  Do  ?  "  said  Captain  Corbet ;  "  why,  do  somethin 
solemn.  I  should  like  —  "  he  added,  mildly.  "  Ef 
you  could,  it  would  be  kind  o'  sewthin  ef  you 
could  sing  a  hime." 

"  A  hymn,"  said  Bart ;  "  certainly."  Now,  Bart 
had  a  quick  talent  for  making  up  jingling  rhymes ; 
so  he  immediately  improvised  the  following,  which 
he  gave  out,  two  lines  at  a  time,  to  be  sung  by  the 


m 


52 


THE  BOYS  OF   GIIAND   PR^:   SCHOOL. 


.   i 


; 


"  B.  O.  W.  C."  It  was  sung  to  the  mournful,  tho 
solemn,  tho  venoniblo,  and  tho  very  appropriate 
tuno,  known  a^  "  Koussoau's  Dream." 

"  Why  did  we  deprive  the  Frenchman 
Of  liis  hindir  agiiinHt  liiu  will, 
Take  possession  of  his  marshes, 
Raise  a  school-house  on  the  hill? 

"  'Twas  a  foolish  self-deceiving 

By  such  tricks  to  hope  for  gain; 
All  that  ever  comes  by  thieving 
Turns  to  sorrow,  care,  and  pain. 

''  Ours  is  now  the  retribution ; 
See  the  fate  that  falls  on  us  — 
Awful  tasks  in  Greek  and  Latin, 
Algebra,  and  Calculus ! 

"Yet  for  all  the  tribulation 

Which  the  morrow  must  behold, 
We  may  find  alleviation 
In  the  Frenchman's  pot  of  gold ! " 

The  wailing  notes  of  the  tune  rose  up  into  the 
dark  night,  and  the  tones,  as  they  were  dolefully 
droned  out  by  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C,"  died  away  in  the 
dim  forest  around. 

Captain  Corbet  gave  a  long  sigh  as  they  ended. 

"  Solemner  and  solemner  ! "  he  slowly  ejaculated. 
"  I  wish  the  biz  was  over." 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  the  way  to  have  it  over  is 
to  begin  as  soon  as  possible.  But  remember  this, 
all  of  you :  after  the  first  stroke  of  spade  or  pickaxe, 


ALL    READY. 


68 


not  a  word  must  bo  spoken  —  not  a  word  —  not 
one  ;  no  matter  what  may  hai)pon ;  no  matter  how 
surprised,  astonished,  terrified,  horrified,  mystified, 
or  scarified  we  may  be.  Mum's  the  word ;  any 
other  word  will  break  the  spell ;  and  then,  wliero 
are  we  ?  And  you,  Solomon,  mind  the  lights  1  Don't 
you  dare  to  let  one  of  them  go  out:  as  you  value 
your  life,  keep  them  going.  Above  all,  mind  that 
tin  kettle  in  the  corner ;  the  wick  is  bad,  and  it's 
flaring  away  at  a  tremendous  rate.  And  don't  let 
the  baskets  upset.    Have  you  got  your  matches  ?  " 

"  Ya  —  yasr,"  said  Solomon,  whose  teeth  were 
now  chattering  again,  and  who  looked  with  utter 
horror  at  the  row  of  lights  which  he  was  ordered 
to  watch, 

"  Wi       ou  take  the  pickaxe,  captain  ?  " 

"  Wai,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  in  a  faint  voice,  "  I 
hardly  know  ;  perhaps  you'd  better  dig,  an  I'll  go 
:  ver  to  the  fence,  and  see  that  no  one  comes." 

"  Go  over  to  the  fence  !  "  cried  Bart.  "  What ! 
go  out  through  that  row  of  lights  ?  and  after  our 
incantations?  Why,  Captain  Corbet  I  Don't  you 
think  of  anything  of  the  kind.  We  are  seven. 
It's  a  mystic  number.     You  must  stay  with  us." 

Captain  Corbet  heaved  a  sigh. 

"  Wal,"  said  he,  "  I'll  take  one  of  the  spades." 

"  I'll  take  the  pickaxe,"  said  Bruce. 

"Very  well,"  said  Bart;  "you  begin.  Stir  up 
the  earth,  and  we'll  all  dig.  But  after  the  first 
stroke,  remember  —  not  one  word  I " 


I 


m 


54 


THE   BOYS  OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


if '  'j 


^Vl 


"I  'I' 


niH'i 


Bruce  then  seized  the  pickaxe  with  nervous 
anergy,  ai.d  raising  it,  he  Imrled  it  into  tlie  ground. 
As  it  struck,  Solomon  shuddered,  and  clasped  his 
hands.  Captain  Corbet  stepped  back,  and  looked 
wildly  around.  Again  and  again  Bruce  wielded 
the  pickaxe,  dashing  it  into  the  earth  with  power- 
ful blows,  and  then  wrenching  it  so  as  to  pry  up 
the  sods.  The  others  looked  on  in  silence.  At 
length  he  had  loosened  the  earth  all  about,  and  to 
a  considerable  depth.  After  this  he  stood  back, 
and  the  other  boys  went  to  work  with  their  spades. 
Bruce  waited  for  a  little  time,  and  then,  dropping 
the  pickaxe,  he  seized  a  spade,  and  plunged  it  into 
the  ground,  and  rapidly  threw  up  the  soil,  doing 
as  much  work  as  any  two  of  the  others. 

For  some  time  they  worked  thus.  The  silence 
was  profound,  being  only  broken  by  the  clash  of 
the  spades  against  the  stones,  and  the  hard  breath- 
ing of  the  boys.  At  last  they  hrd  dug  up  all  the 
earth  that  had  been  loosened  by  Bruce,  and  the 
hard  soil  began  to  present  an  insuperable  barrier 
to  the  progress  of  the  spades.  Seeing  this,  Bruce 
seized  the  pickaxe  once  more,  and  again  hurled  it 
with  vigorous  blows  into  the  ground,  loosening  the 
earth  all  around.  At  last,  as  he  flung  it  down  with 
all  his  force,  it  struck  against  something  which 
gave  so  peculiar  a  sound  that  the  boj'^s  all  started, 
and  caught  one  another's  arms,  and  looked  at  one 
another  in  the  dim  moonlight,  each  trying  to  see 
the  face  of  the  other.     Bruce  stopped  for  an  instant, 


IM 


i  M 


THE  EXCITEMENT. 


55 


and  then,  swinging  the  pickaxe  again  over  his  head, 
he  dashed  it  down  with  all  his  force.  Again  it 
struck  that  hard  substance  under  ground,  and 
again  there  was  that  peculiar  sound.  It  was  a 
sound  that  could  not  be  mistaken.  It  was  not  such 
a  sound  as  would  be  given  by  a  stone,  or  by  a 
stick  of  timber ;  it  was  something  very  different. 
It  was  hard,  ringing,  —  metallic  I  And  as  that 
sound  struck  upon  the  ears  of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C." 
there  was  but  one  thought,  a  thought  which  came 
simultaneously  to  the  minds  of  all  —  the  thought 
that  Bruce's  pickaxe  had  reached  the  buried 
treasure.  But  the  pot  of  gold  now  became  to 
their  imaginations  an  iron  chest  filled  with  coin, 
and  it  was  against  this  iron  chest  that  the  pickaxe 
had  struck,  and  it  was  this  iron  chest  which  had 
given  forth  the  sound. 

Yet  so  schooled  were  they,  so  d'^*  ■  mined  upon 
success,  that  even  the  immensity  of  such  a  sensa- 
tion could  not  make  them  forget  their  self-imposed 
silence.  Not  one  word  was  spoken.  They  felt, 
they  thought,  but  they  did  not  speak. 

Suddenly  Br'ice  Rvzxg  down  the  pickaxe,  and 
seized  his  spade.  At  once  all  the  others  rushed 
forward  to  join  in  the  task.  Bruce  was  first;  his 
spade  was  plunged  deep  into  the  loosened  earth. 
Right  and  left  it  was  flung.  The  spades  of  the 
others  were  plunged  in  also.  All  of  them  were 
digging  wildly  and  furiously,  and  panting  heavily 
with  their  exertion  and  their  excitement.     Each 


m 


> 


■Ai 


'  A  . 


56 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


one  had  felt  his  spade  strike  and  grate  against 
that  hard  metallic  substance  which  the  pickaxe 
had  struck,  and  which  they  now  fully  believed  to 
be  the  pot  of  gold.  Each  one  was  in  the  full 
swing  of  eager  expectation,  when  suddenly  there 
came  an  awful  interruption. 

They  might  have  been  digging  five  minutes,  or 
an  hour ;  they  could  never  tell  exactly.  After- 
wards, when  they  talked  it  over,  and  compared  one 
another's  impressions,  they  could  not  come  to  any 
decision,  for  all  idea  of  time  had  been  lost.  En- 
gaged in  their  work,  they  took  no  note  of  minutes 
or  hours.  But  while  they  were  working  Captain 
Corbet  had  stood  aloof;  he  held  a  spade  in  his  list- 
less hands,  but  he  did  not  use  it.  He  was  looking 
on  nervously,  and  with  a  pale  face,  and  his  thoughts 
were  such  as  cannot  be  described.  Solomon  also 
stood,  with  trembling  frame  and  chattering  teeth, 
a  prey  to  superstitious  terror.  To  Solomon  had 
been  committed  the  care  of  the  lights  ;  yet  he  did 
not  dare  to  venture  near  them.  For  that  matter, 
he  did  not  dare  even  look  at  them.  His  gaze  was 
fixed  on  the  boys,  while  at  times  his  eyes  would 
roll  fearfully  over  the  dark  outline  of  those  dim 
and  sombre  woods  whose  shadows  lowered  gloomily 
before  him. 

Such,  then,  was  the  situation,  —  the  boys  busy 
and  excited;  Captain  Corbet  nervous,  and  idle, 
and  fearful ;  Solomon  trembling  from  head  to  foot, 
and  overcome  with  a  thousand  wild  and  supersti- 


..»'! 


I    i; 

! : 


A   FEARFUL   ALARM. 


67 


tious  fancies, — when  suddenly,  close  beside  them, 
outside  of  the  row  of  lights,  just  as  their  spades 
struck  the  metallic  substance  before  mentioned, — 
suddenly,  instantaneously,  and  without  the  slight- 
est warning,  there  arose  a  sharp,  a  fearful,  a  terri- 
ble uproar ;  something  midway  between  a  shriek 
and  a  peal  of  thunder ;  a  roar,  in  fact,  so  hideous, 
so  wild,  so  unparalleled  in  its  horrid  accompani- 
ments, that  it  shook  the  boldest  heart  in  that 
small  but  bold  company.  It  rose  on  high;  it 
seemed  to  fill  all  the  air ;  and  its  awful  echoes 
prolonged  themselves  afar  through  the  darkness 
of  the  midnight  scene. 

The  boys  started  back  from  the  hole ;  their 
spades  dropped  from  their  hands.  They  saw  about 
half  of  the  lights  extinguished,  and  amid  the 
gloom  they  could  perceive  two  figures  rushing  in 
mad  haste  away  from  the  spot.  A  panic  seized 
upon  them.  Before  a  panic  the  stoutest  heart 
is  as  weak  as  water.  Even  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C." 
yielded  to  its  influence.  They  shrank  back,  they 
retreated,  they  passed  the  line  of  flickering  lights. 

They  fled ! 

Away,  away  !  back  from  this  terrible  place, 
back  towards  the  Academy.  So  fled  the  "  B.  0. 
W.  C." 

First  of  all  the  fugitives  was  Solomon. 

He  had  been  nearly  frightened  out  of  his  wits 
long  before.  These  proceedings,  half  in  joke,  had 
been  no  joke  to  him.    In  spite  of  Bart's  assurances 


!  il 


ii 


ii 


.;:  .1 


4-      P> 


'.      i 


P'    s 


'^i 


i 


58 


THE   BOYS   OP  GRAND   PR6   SCHOOL. 


he  had  stood  a  trembling  spectator,  neglectful  of 
his  duty.  The  wind  had  blown  out  the  lights  one 
by  one.  Far  from  lighting  them  again,  he  had  not 
even  watched  them.  Every  moment  his  fear  had 
increased,  until  at  last  his  limbs  were  almost 
paralyzed  with  terror.  But  at  length,  when  that 
awful  roar  had  arisen,  his  stupor  was  dispelled. 
An  overmastering  horror  had  seized  him.  He 
burst  through  the  line  of  lights ;  lie  fled  across  the 
field  ;  he  ran,  with  his  official  robes  streaming  be- 
hind him,  towards  the  Academy.  Off  went  his 
hat :  he  heeded  it  not ;  he  kept  on  his  way.  He 
reached  the  door  of  the  house ;  he  burst  in. 
Up  the  stairs,  and  up  another  flight,  and  up 
another  flight,  and  yet  another  —  so  he  ran,  until 
at  last  he  reached  his  room.  Arriving  here, 
he  banged  to  the  door,  and  moved  his  bedstead 
against  it,  and  heaped  upon  the  bedstead  his 
trunk,  his  chairs,  his  table,  his  looking-glass,  his 
boots,  his  washstand,  and  every  movable  in  the 
room.  Then  tearing  off  the  bedclothes,  he  rolled 
himself  up  in  them,  and  crouching  down  in  a 
corner  of  the  room,  he  lay  there  sleepless  and 
trembling  till  daybreak. 

Nor  was  Solomon  the  only  fugitive.  Scarcely  had 
he  bounded  away  in  his  headlong  flight  before 
Captain  Corbet,  with  a  cry  of  "  0,  my  babby ! " 
plunged  after  him,  through  the  line  of  lights  into 
the  gloom  that  surrounded  the  ill-omened  spot. 

And  there,  over  that  track  which  saw  the  college 


A   CONSULTATION. 


59 


gown  of  Solomon  and  the  coat  tails  of  Captain 
Corbet  streaming  in  the  wind,  there,  fast  and  far, 
in  wild  confusion,  in  headlong  panic,  fled  the 
^'  B.  O.  W.  C."  Who  ran  first,  and  who  came 
last,  matters  not.  I  certainly  will  never  tell. 
Enough  is  it  for  me  to  say  that  they  RAN  I  Such 
is  the  power  of  Panic. 

Great,  however,  as  was  that  panic,  it  did  not  last 
long ;  and  by  the  time  they  reached  the  edge  of 
the  playground  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  they  all 
slackened  their  pace  and  stopped  by  mutual 
consent.  There  they  stood  in  silence  for  some 
time,  looking  back  at  the  place  from  which  they 
had  fled,  and  where  now  a  few  lights  were  still 
flickering. 

And  there  was  one  great  question  in  all  their 
minds. 

What  was  It? 

But  this  none  of  them  could  tell,  and  so  they  all 
kept  silent. 

That  silence  was  at  last  broken  by  Bart. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  he,  "  what  are  we  going  to 
do  now  ?  Our  shovels  and  lights  are  there  ;  and, 
worst  of  all,  our  palladium  —  the  bust.  Solomon 
has  gone,  and  Captain  Corbet ;  but  we  still  re- 
main. We've  rallied;  and  now  what  shall  we  do? 
Shall  we  retreat,  or  go  back  again  to  the  hole  ?  " 

Bart  spoke,  and  silence  followed.  Overhead  the 
clouds  swept  wrathfully  before  the  face  of  the 
moon,  and  all  around  rose  the  dim  forest  shades. 


MM 


,n  j;' 


60 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


M 


V 

»  1 
)   t 


? 


hi 
1. 


:l 


I 

1.H 


III 

I 

'I 
^1 


•.,1' 


In  front  flickered  and  twinkled  the  feeble,  fitful 
lights.  And  there,  by  those  lights,  was  That, 
whatever  it  was,  from  which  they  had  fled. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  at  any  rate,"  spid 
Bruce,  in  a  harsh,  constrained  voice  ;  "  Til  go  back 
to  that  holCf  if  I  die  for  it." 

•'  You  !  "  cried  Bart. 

"  Yes,"  said  Bruce,  standing  with  his  fists  close 
clinched,  and  his  brow  darkly  frowning ;  "yes,  I; 
you  fellows  may  come  or  stay,  just  as  you  like." 

A  man's  courage  must  be  measured  from  his 
own  idea  of  danger.  A  couple  of  hundred  years 
ago  many  acts  were  brave  which  to-day  are  com- 
monplace. To  defy  the  superstitions  of  the  age 
may  be  a  sign  of  transcendent  courage.  Now,  of 
all  these  boys  Bruce  was  by  far  the  most  super- 
stitious ;  yet  he  was  the  first  who  oiFered  to  go 
back  to  face  27iat  from  which  they  had  all  fled.  It 
was  an  efibrt  of  pure  pluck.  It  was  a  grand  re- 
coil from  the  superstitious  timidity  of  his  weaker 
self.  Buoyed  up  by  his  lofty  pride  and  sense  of 
shame,  he  crushed  down  the  fear  that  rose  within 
him,  and  his  very  superstition  made  his  act  all  the 
more  courageous.  And  as  he  spoke  those  last 
words,  before  the  others  had  time  to  say  anything 
in  reply,  he  turned  abruptly,  and  strode  back  with 
firm  steps  towards  the  cellar.  So  he  stalked  off, 
steeling  his  shaking  nerves  and  rousing  up  the 
resources  of  his  lofty  nature.  By  that  victory 
over  the  flesh  ho  grew  calm,  and  walked  steadily 


;i.-,    j 


THEY  BETURN. 


61 


back  into  the  dark,  ready  to  encounter  any  danger 
that  might  be  lingering  there  —  an  example  of 
splendid  courage  and  conquest  over  fear. 

But  he  did  not  long  walk  alone.  Before  he  had 
taken  a  dozen  steps  the  others  were  with  him,  and 
in  a  short  time  they  were  all  in  the  hole  again. 
Bart  proceeded  to  light  the  extinguished  candles, 
while  Bruce  quietly  picked  up  the  spades,  assisted 
by  the  other  boys.  Soon  all  the  lights  were  burn- 
ing, and  Bart  joined  the  little  knot  of  boys  who 
were  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  cellar. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  coolly,  "  the  old  question  is 
before  us  —  What  are  we  to  do  now  ?  Shall  we 
stay  here  and  dig,  or  shall  we  go  home  and  go  to 
bed  ?  For  my  part,  if  you  wish  to  dig  I'll  dig ;  but 
at  the  same  time  I  think  we'd  better  retire,  taking 
our  things  with  us,  and  postpone  our  digging  till 
another  time." 

"  I  won't  say  anything  about  it,"  said  Bruce. 
"  I'll  do  either.  One  thing,  however,  I  promise 
not  to  do ;  whatever  happens,  I  won't  run  again." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Arthur,  "  there's  no  use  talk- 
ing about  digging  any  more  to-night.  It  was  all 
very  well  while  we  were  in  the  humor.  It  was  all 
fun ;  but  the  fun  has  gone  ;  we've  disgraced  our- 
selves. What  That  was  I  don't  pretend  to  know  ; 
but  it  may  have  been  a  trick.  If  so,  we're  watched. 
And  I  don't  think  any  of  us  feel  inclined  to  dig 
here  with  some  of  the  other  fellows  giggling  at  us 
from  among  the  trees." 


'■  !| 


'  W, 


r 


1  i 


62 


THE  BOYS   OP  <}RANJ>   PRE   SCHOOL. 


V 


"It  may  have  been  the  Gaspereaugians,"  said 
Phil. 

Suddenly  a  heavy  sigh  was  heard,  not  far 
away. 

"  Hu-s-s-s-s-s-s-h  ! ''  said  Bart ;   "  what's  that  ?  " 

«  That  ?     One  of  the  cows,"  said  Tom. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  boys,"  said  Phil;  "  some  of 
the  fellows  have  got  wind  of  our  plan,  and  have 
been  playing  this  trick  on  us.  If  so,  we'll  never 
hear  the  end  of  it." 

"  I'd  rather  have  our  fellows  do  it  than  the  Gas- 
pereaugians,"  said  Bart,  solemnly.  "  What  a  pity 
we  didn't  think  of  this  before  we  began  !  We'd 
not  have  been  taken  so  by  surprise.'' 

"  Well,"  said  Phil,  "  I  believe  it  was  some  trick; 
but  how  any  human  beings  could  contrive  to  make 
such  an  unearthly  noise,  such  a  mixture  of  thun- 
der, and  howling,  and  screeching,  I  cannot  for  the 
life  of  me  imagine." 

"  Still,"  said  Bruce,  "  it  may  not  have  been  a 
trick.  It  may  have  been  something  which  ought 
to  make  us  afraid." 

"  I  believe,"  said  Tom,  "  that  we'll  find  out  all 
about  it  yet.  Let  us  only  keep  dark,  say  nothing, 
and  keep  our  eyes  and  ears  open.  We'll  find  it 
out  some  time." 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur, "  I  suppose  we're  all  out  of 
the  humor  for  digging.  If  so,  suppose  we  smooth 
over  this  hole  ;  and  then  we  can  take  away  our 
lights  and  spades.     My  only  idea  in  coming  b^/^k 


CAPTAIN  CORBET. 


63 


was  to  get  the  things  and  destroy  all  traces  of  our 
digging." 

"  All  right,"  said  Bruce,  seizing  a  spade. 

The  other  boys  did  the  same,  and  soon  the  hole 
was  filled  up.  They  placed  the  sods  over  it  as 
neatly  as  they  could,  and  though  the  soil  bore 
marks  of  disturbance,  yet  they  were  not  conspic- 
uous enough  to  excite  particular  attention. 

Then  they  proceeded  to  gather  up  the  things  so 
as  to  carry  them  away.  In  the  midst  of  this  there 
came  a  voice  out  of  the  darkness,  a  long,  loud, 
shrill  voice,  —  a  voice  of  painful,  eager,  anxious 
inquiry. 

"  B-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ys  !     0,  b-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ys  !  " 

"It's  Captain  Corbet !" cried  Bart.  " Hallo-o-o-o-o ! " 
he  shouted.  "  All  ri-i-i-i-i-i-ght !  We-e-e-'re  h-e-e-e-re  I 
All  sa-a-a-a-a-a-afe  I     Come  alo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong  I " 

He  stopped  shouting  then,  and  they  all  listened 
attentively.  Soon  they  heard  footsteps  approach- 
ing, and  before  long  they  saw  emerging  from  the 
gloom  the  familiar  form  and  the  reverend  features 
of  Captain  Corbet.  He  came  down  into  the  hole,  and 
after  giving  a  furtive  look  all  around,  he  said,  — 

"  So  you've  ben  a  toughin  of  it  out,  hev  you  ? 
Wal,  wal,  wal !  " 

"  No,  captain,"  said  Bart ;  "  we  all  ran  as  fast  as 
we  could." 

"  You  did  ! "  cried  Captain  Corbet,  while  a  gleam 
of  joy  illuminated  his  venerable  face.  "  You  ran  1 
What  actilly  ?     Not  railly  ?  " 


;;) 


■  ■'  fi 


T- 


64 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


'i-^'i 


I'f' 


"t 


i 

't 


n 


M" 


I'  } 


"  Yes,  we  all  ran ;  and  stopped  at  the  edge  of 
the  hill,  and  then,  seeing  nothing,  we  came  back 
to  get  the  things." 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  "  that's  more'n  I'd 
hev  done.  I'm  terewly  rejiced  to  find  that  you 
clar'd  out,  sence  it  makes  me  not  so  'shamed  o' 
myself;  but  I  wonder  at  your  comin  back,  I  do 
railly.  It  was  a  vice,"  he  continued,  solemnly,  "  a 
vice  o'  warnin.  Hark  I  from  the  tombs  a  doleful 
sound  I  But  it's  all  right  now.  Sence  you've  ben 
an  stopped  up  the  hole,  I  ain't  afeard  any  more. 
But,  boys," — and  he  regarded  them  with  a  face  full 
of  awe,  —  "  boys,  let  that  vice  be  a  warnin.  Don't 
you  ever  go  a  diggin  any  more  for  a  pot  of  gold. 
I  give  up  that  thar  biz  now,  and  forevermore. 
See  here,  and  bar  witness,  all." 

Saying  this  Captain  Corbet  took  his  mineral  rod 
with  both  hands,  and  snapped  it  across  his  knee  ; 
then,  letting  the  fragments  fall  on  tho  ground,  he 
put  his  feet  over  them. 

'•'  Thar,  that's  done  I  I  got  that  thar  rod  from  a 
demon  in  human  form,"  he  said.  "  It  was  old 
Zeke  ;  I  bought  it  from  him.  He  showed  me  how 
to  use  it.  It  was  not  myself,  boys.  Old  Corbet 
don't  want  money ;  it  was  the  babby.  That 
pereshus  infant  demanded  my  parential  care.  I 
wanted  to  heap  up  wealth  for  his  sake.  But  it's 
all  over.  That  vice  has  been  a  warnin.  While 
diggin  here,  I  pined  arter  the  babby  ;  an  when  that 
vice  come,  a  soundin  like  thunder  in  my  ears,  I 


SAFE   AT    THE   ACADEMY. 


65 


fe-led.  I  cut  like  lightnin  across  the  fields,  an 
got  to  my  own  hum.  But  when  I  got  thar  I 
thought  o'  youns.  I  couldn't  go  in  to  see  my 
babby,  and  leave  you  here  in  danger.  So  I  come 
back ;  an  here  we  air  again,  all  safe,  at  last.  An 
the  infant's  safe  to  hum ;  an  the  rod's  broke 
forevermore ;  an  my  dreams  of  gold  hev  ben 
therrown  like  dumb  idols  to  the  moulds  and  tew 
the  bats,  —  to  delude  me  no  more  forever.  That's 
so ;  an  thar  you  hev  it ;  an  I  remain  yours  till 
death  shall  us  part." 

After  some  further  conversation,  the  money- 
diggers  gathered  up  all  their  pots,  and  kettles, 
and  pans,  and  spades,  and  pickaxes,  and  shovels, 
and  hoes,  and  candles,  and  lanterns,  and  finally  the 
Bust.  These  they  bore  away,  and  bidding  an 
affectionate  adieu  to  Captain  Corbet,  they  went  to 
the  Academy,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  their 
rooms  unobserved. 

And  during  all  the  time  that  they  lingered  in  the 
cellar  there  was  no  repetition  of  that  sound,  nor 
was  there  any  interruption  whatever. 

5 


I 


:        f 


7T 


I.*;! 


ee 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


IV. 


The  Wonders  of  the  upper  Air.  —  Mr.  Long  calls 
upon  the  Boys  for  Help.  —  All  Hands  at  hard 
Labor.  —  Captain  Corbet  on  a  Fence.  —  TJie 
Antelope  comes  to  Grief.  —  Captain  Corbet  in 
the  Grasp  of  the  Law.   Mr.  Long  to  the  Rescue. 


\  I  f'' 


•if. 


^HE  next  morning  came.  It  was  a  glorious 
sunrise.  Nowhere  out  of  Italy,  I  tjiink, 
can  be  seen  such  sunrises  and  sunsets  as 
those  of  Grand  Pr^.  A.nd  you  may  see  all  that 
can  bo  presented  by  even  Italy  in  every  part  of 
its  varied  outline  —  on  the  plain,  on  liie  mountain- 
top,  or  by  the  sea-side ;  you  may  travci  se  the 
Apennines,  or  wander  by  the  Mediterranean  shore, 
or  look  over  the  waste  Campagna,  and  yet  never 
find  anything  that  can  surpass  those  atmospheric 
effects  which  may  be  witnessed  along  the  shores 
that  surround  the  Basin  of  Minas.  Here  may  be 
found  that  which  would  fill  the  soul  of  the  poet  or 
artist — the  dreamy  haze,  the  soft  and  voluptuous 
calm,  the  glory  of  the  sunlit  sky,  the  terror  of  the 
storm,  the  majesty  of  giant  cloud  masses  piled  ap 


MORNING   GLORIES. 


67 


confusedly,  the  rainbow  tints  cast  by  the  rising  or 
setting  sun  over  innumerable  clouds. 

The  sun  now  arose  from  out  a  congregated  mass 
of  clouds,  and  threw  a  dull  red  glow  over  all  the 
east.  Above  the  wide  plains  of  Grand  Pre  there 
hung  dense  exhalations  which  had  risen  through 
the  night  froih  the  dike  lands,  and  were  now  wait> 
ing  to  be  dissipated.  The  valley  of  Cornwallis  lay 
slumbrous  and  dreamy  in  a  thin  haze  which  rose 
above  it,  and  in  the  distance  the  black  outline  of 
the  North  Mountain  peered  obscurely.  The  broad 
bosom  of  the  Basin  of  Minas  had  a  peculiar  tinge, 
for,  seen  through  the  land  mist  and  the  distant 
haze,  it  was  perfectly  calm  and  unruffled,  and  the 
hue  of  its  surface  seemed  milk-white  ;  and  this 
milk-white  flood  lay  embosomed  amid  shores  ot  gray^ 
which  deepened  as  they  came  nearer  into  black. 
And  here  at  this  time,  as  always,  the  centre  of  the 
scene,  as  much  the  controller  of  the  Basin  of 
Minas  as  Vesuvius  is  the  monarch  of  the  Bay  of 
Naples,  —  black,  frowning,  indistinct,  —  Blomidon 
rose,  and  seemed  to  gather  to  himself  the  intensest 
shades  of  darkness.  The  fog  from  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  projected  itself  through  the  Strait  of  Minas 
far  into  the  Basin,  while  over  the  crest  of  the  giant 
cliit,  piled  up  in  vast  confused  masses,  heap  over 
heap,  like  the  mountains  reared  by  the  fabled 
Titans,  there  arose  a  tremendous  accumulation  of 
clouds. 

At  first  all  the  east  was  red  ;  and  over  the  land 


I  .1! 


7r5!H« 


Jill 


68 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


u  h 


i;i! 


nil 
, » 1 ! 


mist,  and  over  the  hazy  valley,  and  over  the  milk- 
white  sea,  there  came  a  dull  glow,  which  made  the 
scene  resemble  some  place  that  is  illumined  by  the 
glare  of  some  vast  conflagration.   But  the  moments 
passed,  and  the   sun  climbed  higher,  and  the  dull 
glow  of  the  red  changed  to  a  more  vivid  hue.   The 
glare  of  that  rising  sun,  still  red,  yet  vivid,  and 
penetrating,  and  more  and   more  luminous  as   it 
rose  above  the   clouds,   flung   itself  over  all  the 
scene.     The  long  clouds  that  stretched  over  the 
east  spread  across  the  sky  like  bars  of  ruddy  gold. 
A  flame  .seemed  to  light  up  all  the  land  mists  that 
rolled  over  the  dikes  of  Grand  Pr^.     A  luminous 
haze  hun.    like  a  mantle  of  glory  over  Cornwallis. 
Th"^  milk-white  sea  grew  all  tinged  with  a  bril- 
liriTit  pink,  and  the  distant  shores,  once  dark  giay 
deepening  into  black,  now  became  purple.     The 
form  of  Blomidon  changed  from  its  ebon  hue  to  a 
deep  indigo,  while  the  haze  over  its  crest  had  the 
tinge  of  flame.     Far  overhead,  as  they  rose  piled 
up  into  the  sky,  the  clouds  caught  the  lustre  of 
that  sunrise.     They  shimmered  and  quivered,  as, 
blown  by  the  wind,  they  rolled  along,  receiving 
every  moment  in  a  new  direction  the  rays  of  the 
sun ;  they  grew  from  pale  pink  to  ruddiness,  and 
from  ruddiness  to  vermilion,  and  from  vermilion  to 
the  dazzle  of  a  golden  lustre,  till  there  arose  be- 
fore  the  view  a  heaped-up  mass,  presenting  the 
reality  of  all  that  lias  ever  been  imagined  of  the 
splendors  of  Cloud-land;    an  aerial  scene,  where 


AN  ANXIOUS  BREAKFAST. 


69 


deep  down  there  lay  a  dull  red  foundation,  on 
which  arose  a  cloud-built  pyramid  of  pink,  of  ver- 
milion, and  of  gold. 

But  all  these  passed.  These  effects  were  only 
momentary.  In  an  instant  each  shifting  scene  had 
vanished,  leaving  only  the  remembrance  of  its 
glory.  The  sun  climbed  higher,  the  land  mists 
grew  gray,  the  haze  faded  out,  the  sea  surlace 
became  blue,  Blomidon  changed  to  dark  olive,  the 
clouds  above  lost  all  their  splendor  in  a  leaden 
color,  and  at  last,  as  the  sun  attained  a  greater 
height,  it  shone  from  a  blue  sky  upon  a  blue  sea, 
with  its  circle  of  green  shores,  from  which  fog, 
and  mist,  and  cloud  were  all  rapidly  hurrying 
away. 

The  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  joined  the  company  at  the 
breakfast  table  that  morning  with  visible  signs  of 
weariness  and  exhaustion.  They  had  been  up  too 
late  ;  they  had  worked  too  hard,  at  an  unaccus- 
tomed labor  ;  and  they  had  been  subject  to  a  very 
strong  excitement.  They  said  nothing,  however, 
and  none  of  their  schoolmates  noticed  anything 
peculiar  about  them.  They  were  very  anxious  to 
learn  whether  any  of  the  boys  had  been  concerned 
in  the  trick  which  they  believed  had  been  played 
upon  them  ;  but  the  perfect  unconsciousness  as  to 
the  events  of  the  past  night  which  was  evinced  by 
all  their  companions  showed  most  plainly  that 
they,  at  least,  could  have  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  it.     In  order  to  make  assurance  doubly 


.-- 1 


I 
i 

.  .« 

f  .^ 

■^ ' 

I 


* 


a  > 
S  «  i 


I 


Hlil 


70 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


sure,  they  talked  separately  and  individually  with 
each  of  them,  so  as  to  see  if  there  were  any  lurk- 
ing signs  of  an  acquaintance  with  their  midnight 
adventure.  But  the  result  of  this  examination 
confirmed  the  opinion  which  they  had  formed 
before,  and  they  all  concluded  that  if  there  had 
bev  1  a  trick,  none  of  the  boys  of  the  school  had 
anything  to  do  with  it.  One  conclusion  only  re- 
mained —  it  must  be  the  Gaspereaugians  < 

Nine  o'clock  was  the  hour  for  assembling  in  the 
class-room;  but  before  that  hour  Mr.  Long  ap- 
peared in  the  yard  of  the  Academy,  where  most 
of  the  boys  were  gathered,  and  collected  together 
all  those  who  had  gone  with  him  on  the  late 
expedition.  There  was  evidently  something  on 
his  mind.  The  small  boys  could  see  this,  and  they 
all  joined  the  throng,  till  at  length  every  boy  in 
the  place  had  assembled  there. 

Mr.  Long's  business  was  soon  explained.  It  was 
about  that  stone  wall  which  he  had  caused  to  be 
appropriated  to  furnish  ballast  for  the  Antelope. 
He  had  heard  that  the  owner  of  the  wall  had  been 
vowing  vengeance  during  their  absence,  and  was 
extremely  anxious  to  have  it  all  replaced.  But 
the  trouble  was,  he  could  not  get  any  laborers. 
W\  the  farmers  about  were  hard  at  work  in  their 
fields,  and  all  the  seafaring  men  had  gone  to 
Boston  with  potatoes.  He  was  therefore  in  a  very 
awkward  position.  So  he  had  taken  counsel  with 
Dr.  Porter,  and  with  his  consent  determined  to  get 


T.'i 


ill! 


A   HOLIDAY   IN   PROSPECT. 


71 


W 


the  assistance  of  the  boys.  They  had  put  the  stones 
in  very  easily,  and  it  seemed  equally  easy  for  them 
to  take  them  all  out  again  and  replace  them.  Of 
course  some  reward  would  be  needed  as  a  stimulus. 
In  putting  them  in  they  had  be?,n  stimulated  by 
the  hope  of  going  on  the  expedition.  Something 
equally  attractive  would  be  needed  as  an  induce- 
ment for  them  to  take  them  out.  So  Mr.  Long  and 
Dr.  Porter  had  thought  of  something  which  would 
supply  this  required  inducement,  and  the  former 
now  appeared  to  make  known  the  result  to  the  boys. 

It  was  this.  He  invited  all  tlie  boys  to  come  and 
help  him  in  this  work  of  unloading  the  ballast  and 
replacing  the  stone  wall,  and  promised  them,  as  a 
reward,  the  continuation  of  their  holidays  for  the 
remainder  of  the  week. 

At  this  there  was  but  one  response.  It  came  in 
the  shape  of  a  wild  hurrah.  Unload  the  vessel? 
Yes,  and  a  dozen  vessels.  Holidays?  more  holi- 
days? What  wouldn't  they  do  to  get  them  ?  How 
lucky  it  was  that  all  the  farm  laborers  were  hard 
at  work,  and  all  the  sailors  were  off  '  o  Boston ! 
What  a  valuable  and  interesting  plant  was  the 
potato,  which  had  thus  thrown  in  their  way  the 
chance  to  earn  holidays  for  themselves  !  So  hurrah, 
boys  !  and  hurrah  again  I  Stone  walls  ?  Build 
them?  Why,  we'll  build  a  dozen  to  get  more 
holidays ! 

So  they  thouglit,  and  so  they  talked,  and  so  they 
shouted,  and  thus  convinced  Mr.  Long  of  the  sue- 


M' 


in 


•i>J . 


72 


TEE  BOYS  OF  GRAIH)  PR6  SCHOOL. 


1^  I 


ri 


•^M 


1     ; 

i    ; 


r"- 


cess  of  his  experiment.  Not  only  all  of  the  late 
voyageurs  accompanied  him  to  the  Antelope,  but  all 
the  small  boys  also,  every  one  of  them ;  in  fact,  the 
whole  school  went  down,  every  one  eager  to  do 
something,  so  as  to  earn  his  holiday.  It  was  not 
labor  —  it  was  a  iiofic.  It  was  fun  for  them  ;  and 
it  was  singular  to  see  the  eJGfect  which  this  propo- 
sal produced  upon  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  Before  this 
they  had  been  wearied,  exhausted,  fagged  out,  in 
fact,  used  up,  by  their  laborious  exertions  and  the 
tremendous  excitement  of  the  past  night,  together 
with  the  loss  of  their  usual  sleep.  But  now,  at 
the  prospect  of  more  holidays,  they  roused  them- 
selves ;  all  their  energies  were  at  once  excited ; 
they  forgot  in  a  moment  all  their  past  exertions, 
with  the  sleeplessness  that  had  resulted,  and  felt 
as  much  vigor  as  though  they  had  slept  for  ten 
hours,  instead  of  five. 

Down  they  all  went,  therefore,  to  where  the 
Antelope  lay ;  and  the  procession,  although  not 
quite  so  grotesque  as  on  a  former  occasion,  was  still 
sufficiently  striking  to  attract  considerable  atten- 
tion from  the  villagers.  First  of  all  went  Mr. 
Long,  alone  ;  for  Mr.  Simmons  did  not  feel  inclined 
to  go.  He  was  busy  preparing  his  lessons  for  the 
boys.  After  the  leader  followed  the  elder  boys, 
who  had  been  on  the  expedition ;  then  came  a  con- 
fused crowd  of  small  boys.  They  didn't  walk  in 
military  order  exactly ;  in  fact,  they  had  no  order 
at  all,  and  if  it  must  be  confessed,  they  were  some- 


THE  STONE  WALL   REBUILT. 


73 


what  disorderly ;  at  any  rate,  they  beguiled  that 
march  by  playing  at  leap-frog,  or  riding  on  one  an- 
other's backs,  or  doing  something  else  equally  strik- 
ing to  the  village  mind,  all  the  way  down. 

At  last  they  arrived  at  the  scene  of  action.  Mr. 
Long  put  Bruce  and  Jiggins,  who  were  the  largest 
boys  in  the  school,  into  the  hold  of  the  schooner, 
to  lift  out  the  stones,  and  then  ranged  a  double 
line  of  boys,  of  all  sizes,  between  the  schooner  and 
the  place  where  the  stone  wall  had  formerly  been. 

He  then  took  Arthur,  Billymack,  Pat,  and  Bart 
as  his  assistants,  and  stood  by  the  wall  to  build  it 
up  again  with  the  stones  from  the  Antelope.  He 
himself  worked  with  his  own  hands  in  building  up 
the  wall,  and  directed  his  assistants.  There  were 
a  great  many  stones ;  but,  then,  there  were  a  great 
many  hands  at  work ;  and  so,  at  last,  after  violent 
labor,  which,  however,  was  all  the  time  cheered 
and  alleviated  by  the  prospect  of  additional  holi- 
days, the  work  was  completed.  Once  more  the 
stone  wall  arose,  quite  as  good  as  it  had  been 
before,  and,  in  fact,  even  better,  on  the  spot  whence 
it  had  been  taken ;  and  so  vigorously  had  the 
nimble  hands  worked,  and  so  skilfully  had  Mr. 
Long  and  his  assistants  piled  up  the  stones,  that 
they  were  able  to  go  back  to  the  hills  to  take  their 
dinner,  with  the  happy  consciousness,  —  first,  that 
they  had  earned  holidays  for  the  remainder  of  the 
week  ;  and  secondly,  that  the  stone  wall  was  a  far 
better  one,  as  they  had  built  it,  than  it  had  been 


1 

1' 

i 

% 

. 

.'     '' 

;;  '''1 

1 

[ 

1 

I 


74 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


4|,-J 


HI- 


when  it  was  taken  away.  So  Mr.  Long  said,  as  he 
expressed  liis  thanks  for  their  labors,  and  his  deep 
gratification  at  the  fair  result ;  and  so  they  all  felt 
as  they  looked  at  that  wall,  which,  though  built 
by  the  hands  of  amateurs,  was  still  far  better  in 
every  respect  than  the  older  portions,  the  work  of 
other  hands,  that  stood  beside  it. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  boys  were  all 
too  wearied  to  engage  in  any  play.  The  "  B.  O. 
"VV.  C,"  in  particular,  were  exhausted  from  their 
double  toil.  They  spent  the  afternoon  together  in 
Bart's  room,  talking  over  the  events  of  that  memo- 
rable evening  when  they  had  dug  for  money.  Solo- 
mon, since  then,  had  kept  out  of  sight.  They 
themselves  did  not  feel  at  all  inclined  to  reproach 
him.  Their  thoughts  did  not  refer  at  all  to  him, 
nor  to  Captain  Corbet,  but  rather  to  that  unearthly 
noise  which  had  driven  them  to  a  disgraceful 
flight.  Most  of  them  thought  that  it  was  a  trick 
of  the  Gaspereaugians.  Bruce  alone  rejected 
this  theory,  and  plainly  stated  his  belief  that  it 
was  something  supernatural.  If  it  had  been  the 
Gaspereaugians,  he  argued,  would  they  have  left 
us  unmolested  after  we  went  back  ?  No.  It  was 
because  we  did  not  dig  that  we  were  let  alone. 
If  we  had  begun  to  dig  again,  and  if  we  had 
struck  that  metallic  box  again,  then  we  should 
have  heard  that  roar,  and  something  a  good  deal 
worse. 

But  this  was  only  Bruce's  opinion ;  none  of  the 


CAPTAIN  CORBET. 


75 


?'!| 


others  held  it.  They  were  conviDced  that  it  was 
the  trick  of  the  Gaspereaugians,  and  were  eager 
to  find  out  some  way  of  retaliating  on  their  ene- 
mies; but  they  could  not  imagine  any  way  in 
which  to  do  it. 

The  hours  of  the  day  passed  on,  and  late  in  the 
afternoon  they  went  out  for  a  walk.  Not  having 
any  particular  route  in  view,  they  strolled  down 
through  the  village,  and  very  naturally  directed 
their  steps  towards  Mud  Creek,  so  as  to  take  an- 
other look  at  the  Antelope,  and  particularly  at  that 
stone  fence  which  had  cost  them  so  much  labor, 
and  blistered  all  the  hands  in  the  school. 

On  reaching  the  spot  a  startling  sight  met  their 
eyes.  There,  perched  upon  the  very  stone  wall 
which  they  had  assisted  to  build,  with  his  arms 
folded  round  his  knees,  and  his  chin  pressed  upon 
the  same,  with  his  whole  figure  drawn  up  into  the 
smallest  compass  into  which  it  is  possible  for  the 
human  frame  to  gather  itself,  they  saw  a  familiar 
shape,  the  sight  of  which,  as  they  saw  it  in  such 
an  attitude,  startled  them  extremelv. 

It  was  no  other  than  Captain  Corbet.  Drawn 
up  thus,  folding  thus  his  knees  with  his  arms,  lean- 
ing thus  his  chin  upon  his  knees,  he  came  before 
their  startled  vision;  but  he  himself  wts  quite 
unconscious  of  their  presence.  His  face  was 
turned  to  the  scene  which  presented  itself  before 
him,  and  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  that  scene  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  other  things;    and   they,  as 


M  f 


..'^- 


76 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


« 


»•  . "   ,i 


I  '■ 


they  came  up  behind  him,  saw  gradually  what  that 
scene  was. 

Since  they  had  been  there  last,  the  tide  had 
reached  its  height,  and  had  fallen.  Mud  Creek 
now  lay  before  them  perfectly  empty  of  water, 
and  presenting  to  their  view  an  expanse  of  nothing 
else  except  soft,  slimy,  slippery,  oleaginous  mud, 
which  now  spread  away  in  an  impassable  gulf,  and 
showed  the  justice  and  the  truth  of  that  uneuplio- 
nious  name.  But  the  vast  abyss  of  soft,  slimy,  and 
oleaginous  mud,  and  the  wide  impassable  valley 
composed  thereof,  and  the  rise  and  the  fall  of  these 
extraordinary  tides,  were  not  the  attractions  which 
riveted  the  gaze  of  Captain  Corbet,  and  the  eyes 
of  the  boys  of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C,"  as  they  drew 
nearer.  It  was  something  far  different  —  some- 
thing, in  fact,  which  touched  them  all,  in  common, 
with  a  deep  feeling  of  sorrow,  —  a  feeling  which 
was  strong  enough  to  make  Captain  Corbet  uncon- 
scious of  the  presence  of  any  except  himself,  and 
to  make  the  boys  stop  short  in  their  advance,  and 
look  on  in  deep  but  mournful  silence. 

For  there,  just  before  them,  and  just  before  the 
entranced  gaze  of  Captain  Corbet,  lay  the  Antelope. 
She  was  lying  on  her  side,  down  the  steep  slope 
of  mud,  as  though  witli  the  falling  tide  she  had 
rolled  over  to  her  ruin  and  destruction.  There  she 
lay,  with  her  side  buried  deep  in  the  soft  mud,  her 
masta  pointing  downwards ;  buried  there,  and  so 
firmly   fixed   in   that   burial-place,   that   the   next 


m 


r  !■■ 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   ANTELOPE. 


77 


rising  tide  would  only  seem  to  complete  her 
hopeless  ruin.  There  she  lay,  doomed  and  de- 
voted to  destruction,  —  the  dear  old  Antelope, 
which  had  carried  them  safely  through  all  their 
late  adventures,  and  around  which  so  many  imper- 
ishable memories  had  fastened  themselves.  To 
these  boys  of  the  "  B.  O.  W.  C,"  who  thus  saw 
it  in  the  peril  of  its  last  agonies,  the  Antelope  was 
not  a  common  schooner.  It  had  carried  them  safely 
through  adventures  which  were  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. In  it  they  had  cruised  over  Minas  Basin, 
they  had  visited  the  Five  Islands,  they  had  landed 
at  Pratt's  Cove  ;  in  it  they  had  drifted  over  the 
wide  seas,  they  had  run  ashore,  they  had  encoun- 
tered perils  without  number ;  in  it  they  had  known 
joy  and  sorrow,  plenty  and  famine,  hope  and  de- 
spair;  and  this  was  the  end  —  to  see  the  dear  old 
tub  upset  on  the  wrong  side,  and  lying  buried  in 
Mud  Creek  before  their  eyes,  awaiting  its  inevita- 
ble fate. 

"  0,  Captain  Corbet  I "  cried  Bart,  who  hurried 
up  first  to  the  figure  on  the  stone  wall.  "  0,  Cap- 
tain Corbet  I     Can  nothing  be  done  to  save  her  ?  " 

Captain  Corbet  turned  his  face,  and  looked 
mildly,  yet  calmly  upon  the  boys.  His  calmness 
extended  itself  to  them,  and  they  thought  that  it 
was  the  calmness  of  hope.  In  a  moment  their 
sorrow  over  the  Antelope  passed  away. 

But  the  words  of  Captain  Corbet  did  not  tend 
to  inspire  hope. 


w^ 


r  1 


'.H- 


78 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I!  \ 


1 


Ho  shook  his  venerable  head  with  deep  solem- 
nity. 

"  No,"  said  he, "  nothen  ken  bo  done.  You  see,  I 
hurried  home  to  see  the  babby,  an  I  didn't  fasten 
her  right.  She  stood  one  tide  all  night,  but  it  was 
on'y  by  chance.  This  here  tide  to-day  has  done 
for  her.  Pd  orter  hev  tied  her  up  proper  —  but  it 
was  all  the  babby.  1  clar'd  out,  tied  her  loose,  an 
this  here's  the  result.  Good  by,  old  Antelope  1  — 
Hicjacet  There's  Lating  for  ye,  boys,"  he  added, 
mournfully.  "  You're  study  in  that  al  the  Academy, 
an  kin  onderstand  the  feelins  of  the  onhappy 
Corbit." 

"  Don't  talk  so,  captain,"  cried  Bart.  "  We'll  help 
you.  We  got  out  all  the  ballast  to-day.  Come , 
can't  you  think  of  some  way  to  save  her?  Isn't 
there  any  way  ?  We'll  help  you  if  you  want  help. 
We'll  wait  here  till  the  next  tide,  and  get  her 
righted." 

"  No  go  —  "  said  Captain  Corbet. 

"  You  give  up  too  quick,"  cried  Bart,  more  ear- 
nestly than  before.  "  Can't  something  be  done  ? 
We'll  help  you,  you  know." 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head  solemnly ;  then 
looking  earnestly  at  the  boys,  he  slowly  ejaculat- 
ed,— 

"  No  go,  boys ;  that  there  schooner's  a  gone 
sucker ! " 

The  tone  in  which  Captain  Corbet  uttered  these 
words  was  one  of  such  quiet  despair,  that  none  of 


71 


A   WARNIN'. 


79 


the  boys  had  anything  to  say.  They  all  felt  that 
he  knew  best.  Besides,  ho  was  most  directly  con- 
cerned in  the  loss  of  the  Antelope,  and  if  he  gave 
up,  then  there  was  no  hope  for  them.  Then  also 
they  had  offered  thoir  services,  and  Captain  Cor- 
bet had  declined  them.  What  more  could  they  do  ? 
Nothing  more ;  that  was  evident.  So  they  listened 
in  mournful  silence  to  his  last  words. 

"  Yes,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  impressively.  She's 
a  gone  sucker  I  An  it  was  o'ny  my  fault.  I'd  ort 
to  hev  tied  her  up.  But  I  didn't.  Cos  why  ?  Cos 
I  bed  to  hurry  oiF  to  the  babby.  It  was  the  infant 
that  called  me  off  from  my  dooty  to  the  schewner, 
an  this  here's  the  end.  Sarves  me  right.  O'ny 
it's  a  heavy  loss,  an  I  wouldn't  mind  it  if  it  was  my 
loss.  But  'tain't  my  loss.  It's  hisn.  It's  the 
infant's.  And  the  wust  of  it  is,  the  loss  is  totial ; 
for  the  schewner's  a  gone  sucker  ! " 

"  I  see  how  it  is,"  he  resumed,  as  the  boys  stood 
round  him  in  respectful  silence,  full  of  sympathy 
for  his  loss,  —  "I  see  how  it  is.  It's  the  finger  of 
Providence.  You  see,"  he  continued,  with  a  deeper 
solemnity,  '^  you  see  it's  intended  to  show  me  that 
I'm  to  devote  myself  altogether  to  the  babby.  I 
oust  dug  for  gold  —  I  ben  warned  off.  I  traversed 
the  briny  deep  with  potatoes  —  warned  off  again. 
This  here's  what  I  call  a  warnin,  an  I  take  it  as 
sich,  an  henceforth  intend  to  give  myself  up  to 
the  babby.     That's  about  it." 

Captain  Corbet  then  relapsed  into  silence,  and 


*l 

f 

..'<■■ 

}  ; 
1 

■  M 

i'  1' 

1 

t 

1, 1 


1^  li! 


^^ 


J I 


80 


THE  BOYS  OF  THE  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


•  ^ 


I  ' 

H 


once  more  fixed  his  iibntractod  gaze  upon  the  lost 
schooner.  The  boys  could  do  nothing,  and  full  of 
respectful  sympathy,  they  withdrew  in  silence, 
and  returned  to  the  hill. 

It  was  almost  tea-time,  and  all  the  boys  were 
out  in  front  of  the  Academy.  Mr.  Long  was  walk- 
ing up  and  down  the  portico,  chatting  with  Dr. 
Porter.  The  '•  B.  0.  W.  C."  were  there  engaged 
with  the  others  in  the  general  sport,  when  sud 
denly  Phil  seized  Bart's  arm,  and  pointed  to  the 
avenue. 

"  Look,"  he  cried. 

Bart  looked,  and  saw  the  familiar  figure  of  Cap- 
tain Corbet.  He  was  walking  rapidly,  straight  up 
towards  the  portico. 

The  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  at  once  rushed  up  to  him. 

"  Whar's  Mr.  Long  ?  "  said  Captain  Corbet,  who 
seemed  very  much  excited. 

'^  Up  there,"  said  Bart,  pointing  to  the  portico. 

Captain  Corbet  said  no  more,  but  hurried  on  in 
the  direction  indicated,  and  soon  ascended  the 
steps  of  the  portico,  immediately  in  front  of  Mr. 
Long. 

"  Mr.  Long,"  said  he,  in  great  agitation,  "  I've 
got  into  trouble." 

"  Ah,  captain,"  said  Mr.  Long.  "  How  do  you 
do?    Trouble?     What  trouble  ?  " 

"  Alcng  o'  that  stone  fence." 

"  The  stone  fence  ?  "  said  Mr.  Long.  "  How's 
that  ?    We  put  it  all  back  in  its  place,  better  than 


ever. 


17 


CAPTAIN    COUBKT   IN  TROUBLE. 


81 


"  Any  liow,"  waid  Captain  Corbet,  "  they've  gone 
an  sarvod  a  writ  un  me." 

"  A  writ !  " 

"  YeH,  sir.  Diiniages  done  to  property  by  re- 
moval of  wall.  All  tliey'ro  going  to  prosecute  me  ! 
An  me  jest  lost  the  srliewner.  Me,  with  nothin 
left  but  my  little  farm  to  h^ave  tew  the  babby  1 " 

He  paused,  overcome  bv  liis  emotion. 

''  Damar.js?"  said  ^Mr.  Long,  who  was  tilled  with 
pity  at  Captain  Corbet's  evident  distress.  "  O,  don't 
be  afraid.  They  can't  do  anything.  I'll  take  tlie 
responsibility.  I  took  the  stones,  you  know.  You 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I'll  guarantee  your 
safety.  Don't  trouble  yourself.  When  is  the  suit 
to  come  off?  " 

"  The  day  after  to-morrow." 

•'  Very  well.  Don't  you  trouble  yourself  at  all. 
I'll  see  to  it.  I'll  be  there  and  defend  you,  and  I'm 
very  much  mistaken  if  they  will  be  able  to  make 
out  a  case  against  you.  If  they  do,  I')'  ;*.;'  the 
damages." 

A  flush  came  over  Captain  Corbet' ?  pal')  ih-e.  It 
was  not  merely  Mr.  Long's  proir.ijH  (o  ^^sp:  use  his 
cause,  and  see  him  harmless,  but  the  sympathy  of 
his  tone  and  manner. 

He  seized  Mr.  Long's  hand  in  both  of  his. 

"  0,  Mr.  Long  !  Onst  I  thought  you  was  hard- 
hearted, but  now  I  see  I  was  mistook ;  for  a  kinder 
nor  pleasanter  spoken  gentleman  never  lived.  An 
when  my  babby  can  learn  tew  speak,  I'll  teach 

6 


iilll 


.•■'III 


82 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


i  1} 
i^ !  k 


»■  '■  ^ 


m 


him  to  come  down  here  and  belless  you !  For 
youVe  saved  me  from  ruination,  and  snatched  the 
infant  from  want  and  woe.  That  babby,  Mr. 
Long —  " 

"  0,  never  mind ;  its  nothing,"  said  Mr.  Long, 
hurriedly.  "  The  day  after  to-morrow —  is  it  ?  Well, 
I'll  be  prepared.  All  right.  Don't  be  afraid.  I'll 
see  all  about  it.  I'm  very  busy  now,  or  I'd  talk  more 
about  it.  You  come  here  the  day  after  to-morrow. 
Mind.     Don't  forget.     Good  by." 

And  saying  this  Mr.  Long  dragged  Dr.  Porter 
away  from  the  portico,  leaving  Captain  Corbet 
muttering  inarticulate  words  about  his  babby. 


!  ' 


EXCITEMENT. 


83 


V. 


■II 


A  most  mysterious  Sound  in  a  most  mysterious 
Place. —  WJiat  is  it?—  General  Panic. —  The 
adventurous  Explorers. —  They  are  baffled. — 
Is  Pat  at  the  Bottom  of  it?  —  Bart  takes  his 
Life  in  his  Hand^  and  goes  alone  to  encounter 
the  Mystery  of  the  Garret. 


J- 


>HE  boys  had  much  to  talk  about  that  night. 
These  had  been  eventful  times.  There 
was  their  excitement  about  the  mineral 
rod,  and  their  memorable  experiment  in  the  cellar ; 
there  was  the  unlading  of  the  stones,  and  the 
bright  prospect  of  more  holidays  ;  there  was  the 
sorrow  of  Corbet  over  his  lost  Antelope;  and 
finally  there  was  the  prospect  of  the  approaching 
trial,  when  Mr.  Long  would  defend  the  cause  of 
the  innocent.  Were  not  tlicse  matters  sufficiently 
exciting  to  keep  the  boys  awake  till  a  late  iiour  V 
Methinks  they  were. 

Above  all,  that  roar  which  had  startled  them  at 
their  midnight  work  never  ceased  to  perplex  them. 
Bruce,  who  was  superstitious,  still  clung  to  'is 
belief  in   its   supernatural   origin,  but   the  other 


I  ft' 

•ii 


r^ 


84 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


.1 1 

'■  I 


boys  were  one  and  all  convinced  that  it  was  a  hoax. 
But  who  had  done  it  ?  Did  the  perpetrators  of 
that  hoax  belong  to  the  school?  or  did  they 
belong  to  the  village  ?  or  were  they  Gaspereau- 
gians  ?  On  these  points  they  took  sides,  and  had 
long  arguments,  which  led  to  no  conclusion  in 
particular,  but  left  them  where  they  were. 

One  conclusion  they  did  come  to,  however,  and 
that  was  to  keep  their  adventure  a  profound  secret, 
and  wait  to  see  if  the  mystery  would  not  be  re- 
vealed. 

In  spite  of  their  fatigue,  they  were  so  excited  by 
the  recent  events,  that  they  all  remained  in  the 
Rawdons'  rooms  till  quite  a  late  hour.  The  Acad- 
emy was  still,  and  everybody  seemed  to  have  gone 
to  bed.  Bart,  Tom,  and  Phil  were  about  to  retire 
to  their  own  rooms,  when  suddenly  there  occurred 
something  which  made  every  one  of  them  start  to 
his  feet. 

It  was  a  long,  wild,  shrill  cry,  somewhere  between 
a  howl  and  a  hoot,  and  it  sounded  in  the  attic 
above.  Before  they  could  recover  from  their  first 
shock  it  sounded  again  and  again. 

Bruce's  face  grew  pale,  and  the  others  looked  at 
one  another  with  wide-open  eyes. 

The  Rawdons'  rooms  were  in  the  third  story, 
and  immediately  above  them  was  the  attic,  which 
ran  the  whole  length  of  the  Academy,  all  unfin- 
ished except  a  little  chamber  at  this  end  occupied 
by  Pat.     Pat's  room  was  immediately  over  Bart's ; 


i   I 


^miMRHnP(9^ipiHPPI^""nmH 


A   NEW   TERROR. 


85 


and  as  the  Academy  was  divided  into  separate 
compartments,  each  with  its  own  entrance  and 
stairways,  it  had  no  connection  with  this  part. 
Midway  in  the  unfinished  attic  rose  the  cupola, 
supported  by  a  network  of  vast  beams,  a  favorite 
place  of  resort  for  the  boys,  on  account  of  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  prospect  which  it  commanded.  On 
rainy  days  the  attic  formed  a  fine  place  for  exercise, 
but  at  night  its  vast  and  gloomy  extent  served  rath- 
er to  repel  visitors.  Such  was  the  place  through 
which  now  sounded  that  discordant  and  horrid  cry 
which  had  so  startled  the  boys. 

'*  There  it  is  again  I "  said  Bruce  at  last. 

"Pooh!"  said  Bart —  "  that  ?  — that  is  nothing 
to  what  it  was  up  in  the  cellar." 

"  Let's  go  up  and  see  what  it  is,"  said  Bruce, 
who  again,  as  before,  mastered  the  weakness  of  his 
superstitious  fear  by  a  supreme  effort  of  courage. 

"All  right,"  said  the  others.  "Now's  our 
chance." 

Bruce  and  Arthur  each  took  a  lamp,  and  they 
started  off.  Scarcely  had  they  passed  out  into  the 
hall,  than  another  of  those  shrill  cries  came,  and  at 
the  same  time  they  heard  three  peculiar  knocks. 
They  stopped  for  a  moment  to  listen.  As  they 
stopped,  the  door  opposite  opened,  and  Jiggins 
appeared.    He  looked  pale  and  disturbed. 

"  What's  all  the  row,  Jiggins  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  Row  ?  "  said  Jiggins  ;  "  I  don't  know.     I  don't 


1!        "*      ' 


:.Ji'      I 


1 1 


■r 

5^ 

Hit 


86 


THF  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


like  it  at  all.  It  don't  somehow  sound  altogether 
right.     I  think  you'd  better  not  —  " 

At  this  moment  Jiggins's  voice  was  drowned  by 
another  howl.  He  started,  and  looked  at  the 
others  in  silence. 

By  this  time  they  heard  below  the  noise  of 
doors  opening,  and  shujffling  feet.  The  voices  of 
Bogud  and  Billymack,  and  Johnny  Blue,  and 
Muckle,  were  heard  calling  up  to  them.  They 
shouted  back,  after  which  the  others  came  up  to 
the  hall,  and  they  all  stood  listening  at  the  foot  of 
the  stairs.  In  the  midst  of  this,  other  footsteps 
were  heard,  and  Pat  made  his  appearance. 

"  I  ran  out,''  said  he,  "  an  I  saw  lights  up  here 
—  an  I  came  up.     Ye'v  heard  it  —  haven't  ye's?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Bart ;  "  do  you  know  what  it  is  ?  " 

"  Me  ! "  cried  Pat ;  "  sure  didn't  I  hear  it  close 
by  me  room  ?  and  di  In't  I  run  for  it  ?  " 

"  It's  mighty  queer,"  said  Jiggins. 

"  I  think  we'd  better  go  down,"  said  David  Digg ; 
"  whatever  it  is,  it's  something  that  we  ought  not 
to  face." 

'-'Nonsense,  Bogud!"   said  Bart; 


"we're  going 
up." 

"  Up,  is  it  ?  "  cried  Pat ;  "  'deed,  then,  an  ye'd 
betther  not !  Ye  don't  know  what  it  is  that's  up 
there." 

As  he  spoke  there  sounded  once  more  those  pe- 
culiar knocks. 


THE  BOYS   IN   COUNCIL. 


if 


"  Many's  the  time  I  heard  that,"  said  Pat.  "  It's 
a  black,  bad  place." 

'' Wern'tyou  frightened?"  asked Bogud, solemnly. 

"  Sure  it  cudn't  make  any  differ  whether  I  wor 
frightened  or  not.  The  likes  of  me's  got  to  bear 
thim  things." 

And  now  there  came  another  uproar.  It  was 
yell  after  yell,  so  wild,  so  harsh,  and  so  discordant, 
that  the  former  noises  were  nothing  in  comparison. 

Bogud  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  Jiggins  backed 
into  his  doorway.  The  other  boys  fell  back  a  little, 
but  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C,"  stood  their  ground,  and 
Bruce  put  his  foot  on  the  lowest  step  to  ascend  to 
the  attic. 

"  Sure  ye'll  not  be  goin  up  !  "  said  Pat. 

"  Yes,  Ave  will,"  said  Bart.  "  Come  along  —  all  of 
you." 

"  It's  kilt  ye'll  be  !  "  wailed  Pat  —  "  it's  dead 
intirely  ye'll  find  yerselves  when  ye  come  back  ! " 

"  Come  along,  boys,"  cried  Phil,  as  he  hurried  up 
after  Bruce.     "  Come,  Pat.     It's  all  humbug," 

''  Come  along,"  cried  Bart ;  ^'  you  needn't  pretend 
to  be  frightened,  Pat;  you're  only  humbugging. 
It's  my  belief  that  you  know  all  about  it.  Can't  I 
tell  by  your  face  whether  you're  really  frightened 
or  not  ?  " 

"  Me  !  "  cried  Pat,  with  a  very  queer  intonation, 
that  sounded  like  a  mournful  wail  struggling  with 
wild  laughter.  "  Is  it  me  ?  0  woro-o-o  !  Isn't  it  to 
danger  yere  goin  thin  !    Don't  blame  me  if  I  didn't 


i 


■ii^-  \ 


'   '  ^m 

1 

^1 

r 

7^ 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


*'    '• 


m 


warrun  ye's.  Och,  but  it's  a  black  day  intirely  1 
Come  along,  boys,"  he  said  to  the  others  who  were 
left.    '•  Let's  go  down  out  of  this  to  the  flure  below." 

These  last  words  were  not  heard  by  the  "  B.  0. 
W.  C,"  who  were  by  this  time  in  the  attic,  peering 
through  the  gloom,  and  waiting  for  a  recurrence 
of  the  sound. 

They  listened  for  a  long  time,  but  tiiey  heard  no 
noise  at  all.  No  shrieks,  no  knocks  whatever  were 
heard.  At  length  they  began  to  go  about.  They 
walked  first  towards  that  end  of  the  attic  where 
Pat's  room  was,  and  the  only  noise  they  heard  was 
the  heavy  footsteps  of  Pat  as  he  ascended  the 
stairs  and  entered  his  room. 

"  It's  my  firm  belief,"  said  Bart,  "  that  Pat  is  at 
the  bottom  of  all  this  humbug.  Of  course  we  won't 
find  anything.  There  won't  be  so  much  as  a  knock, 
let  alone  a  howl." 

They  walked  all  about,  and  at  last  reached  the 
place  where  the  cupola  arose.  It  was  built  over 
the  main  part  of  the  Academy,  from  which  wings 
extended  on  either  side.  This  main  part  was  taken 
up  with  the  Academy  hall,  which,  however,  did  not 
rise  so  high  as  tlie  floor  of  the  attic,  and  the  con- 
sequence was,  that  there  yawned  here  a  dark  abyss 
some  fifteen  feet  in  depth,  and  sixty  or  eighty  feet 
square.  Above  rose  the  stout  timbers,  crossing 
one  another  in  all  directions,  through  the  midst  of 
which  ladders  ascended  into  the  cupola.  Some 
loose  planks  laid  across  this  abyss,  from  beam  to 


A  VAIN  SEARCH. 


89 


beam,  formed  a  rather  dangerous  pathway.  This 
the  boys  traversed,  and  crossing  to  the  opposite 
side,  they  wandered  about  the  long,  dark  loft,  f;azing 
curiously  in  all  directions.  There  was  no  flooring 
on  this  side,  but  only  beams,  with  the  laths  and 
plaster  of  the  lower  rooms  between  them.  Their 
search  took  them  over  this,  but  nothing  whatever 
came  of  it. 

They  searched  the  whole  attic  most  thoroughly, 
but  could  find  nothing. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  Bart,  "  we  can't  do  anything 
more.  For  my  part  I'm  fagged  out,  and  I'm  going 
to  bed." 

This  proposal  met  with  the  approbation  of  aL 
the  others.  They  were  all  very  tired,  very  sleepy 
and  very  much  disgusted  at  their  failure. 

So  they  went  down  the  steps,  and  the  Rawdons 
went  into  their  room,  and  the  others  turned  to  go 
down. 

But  just  at  that  moment  the  yells  and  the  hoots 
sounded  out  again  in  a  deafening  vclley  —  then  all 
was  still. 

"  0,  yell  away  !  "  cried  Bart,  angrily  ;  "  we'll 
find  you  out  some  day.  Depend  upon  it,  boys 
Pat's  at  the  bottom  of  it.  If  he  is,  let  him  look 
out ;  that's  all.  I'll  teach  him  a  lesson  that  he 
won't  forget  in  a  hurry.  Come,  Phil.  Come,  Tom. 
Good  by,  Bruce  and  Arthur.  If  you  feel  inclined 
for  another  hunt  to-night,  you  may  make  it  your- 
selves.    I'm  going  to  bed,  and  I'll  sleep  till  nine  to- 


lil 


90 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


morrow  in  spite  of  all  the  noises  that  can  be  scared 


» 


up 

With  these  words  Bart  retired  along  with  Tom 
and  Phil;  and  he  kept  his  word,  for  he  slept  as 
sound  as  a  top,  and  did  not  make  his  appearance  on 
tlie  next  day  till  long  after  the  other  boys  were  up. 

After  getting  his  breakfast  from  Solomon,  he 
wandered  out  into  the  grounds  in  front  of  the 
Academy,  where  he  found  nearly  all  the  school 
gathered,  and  in  a  great  excitement.  The  noises 
had  been  heard  all  through  the  night  by  most  of 
them,  and  had  excited  every  varying  shade  of 
superstitious  terror.  Bogud  had  told  them  about 
the  attempt  of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  to  find  out  the 
mystery,  and  Tom  had  been  forced  to  acknowledge 
their  failure.  All  this,  of  course,  made  an  immense 
sensation. 

Different  theories  arose  among  them,  most  of 
them  tinged  with  superstition.  All  these  theories 
referred  to  an  old  legend  that  the  Academy  had 
been  built  on  a  spot  where  some  French  houses  had 
once  stood,  and  that  the  cellars  were  beneath  the 
building.  Out  of  this  legend  some  of  the  boys 
created  a  wild  theory,  which  connected  the  harm- 
less Acadians  with  the  hideous  noises  of  the  past 
night.  Jiggins  and  Bogud  were  both  inclined  to 
this.  Pat  was  very  industrious  in  going  about 
among  the  boys  with  terrific  descriptions  of  what 
he  had  heard ;  and  as  his  room  was  actually  in  the 
attic,  and  only  separated  from  its  gloomy  extent  by 


bart's  search. 


91 


a  thin  board  partition,  his  authority  was  consid- 
ered sufficient  tor  any  belief,  however  mid.  Pat,  in 
fact,  was  a  great  man  that  day,  and  f  drly  revelled 
in  the  awe-struck  faces  of  the  small  boys  as  they 
(questioned  him  about  his  experience.  These  small 
boys  all  lived  in  another  building  called  the  Board- 
ing House,  which  stood  near  the  Academy,  but 
apart  from  it;  and  as  they  listened  to  Pat's  wild 
stories  they  congratulated  themselves  that  they 
were  not  witliin   hearing  of  such  terrific  sounds. 

Bart  heard  al'  this,  he  watched  the  effect  which 
this  story  had  produced,  and  he  saw  how  Pat  was 
glorifying  himself  on  this  occasion. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  boys,"  said  he  to  his 
friends,  as  they  found  themselves  together  apart 
from  the  others.  "  In  all  this  school  there  is  one, 
and  only  one,  that  knows  about  this  row,  and  that 
is  Pat.  I'm  sure  of  it.  If  I  had  a  doubt  before, 
it's  vanished  now.  Whv,  look  at  him  over  there, 
frightening  the  small  boys  oui',  of  their  wits.  Well," 
he  continued,  after  a  pause,  "  very  well ;  just  waih  a 
while,  and  see  if  I  don't  pay  up  Pat  for  this." 

As  soon  as  Bart  could  do  it  unobserved,  he  went 
up  to  explore  the  attic.  He  spent  a  long  time 
there,  and  did  not  come  down  till  the  dinner  bell 
rang.  Then  after  dinner  he  went  up  again,  and 
repent  the  afternoon.  His  investigation  was  long 
and  searching ;  but  what  he  found,  and  where  he 
f  )und  it,  and  liow  he  found  it,  r.nd  in  fact  whether 
lie  found  anything  at  all  or  not,  he  did  not  tell  to  a 


^i 


s 


t"" 


92 


THE  BOyS  OP  GRAXD  PR6  SCHOOL. 


single  soul,  no,  not  oven  to  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  As 
Bart  preserved  such  secrecy,  I'm  sure  I'm  not 
going  to  divulge  it  just  yet.  I  will  do  as  Bart  did, 
and  keep  my  own  counsel,  and  wait  till  the  proper 
time  comcs  for  the  disclosure. 

And  any  boy  who  thinks  there's  going  to  be  a 
ghost  in  the  garret,  or  a  phantom  in  the  French 
orchard,  had  better,  —  well,  ho  had  better  keep 
reading  straight  on.  That's  about  the  best  advice 
I  can  give  him. 


I  I     !,i- 


THE  TlilAL. 


93 


VI. 


The  great,  the  famous,  and  the  never-to-he-forgot- 
ten Trial.  —  Captain  Corbet  hauled  up  before 
the  Bar  of  Rhadamanthus.  —  Town  and  Gown.  — 
Attitude  of  the  gallant  Captain,  —  The  sympa- 
thizing Townsmen.  —  Old  Zehe  and  his  Rat.  — 
Mr.  Loughs  eloquent  Oration,  ending  in  the 
Apotheosis  of  Captain  Corbet's  Baby.  (For 
meaning  of  above  ivord  —  Apotheosis  —  see  Dic- 
tionary.) 

^HE  day  appointed  for  the  hearing  of  Captain 
Corbet's  case  was  awaited  with  an  excite- 
ment which  was  almost  equal  to  that  which 
had  been  created  by  the  affair  in  the  attic.  It  was 
to  come  off  at  eleven  o'clock ;  but  the  impatience 
of  the  boys  was  not  to  be  restrained,  and  long 
before  that  time  they  were  all  out  in  front  of  the 
Academy,  gathered  together  in  groups,  and  discuss, 
ing  the  probabilities  of  the  trial.  The  wall  had  been 
removed,  and  put  into  the  schooner  for  ballast,  and 
carried  away.  It  had  been  kept  for  more  than  a 
week.  That  was  all  undeniable.  But,  then,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  had  all  been  replaced,  so  that  it  was 
better  than  ever.  That  was  equally  undeniable. 
How,  then,  could  the  owner  prosecute  ?  What  dam- 
age had  been  done  ?   In  fact,  the  opinion  of  the  boys 


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94 


THE  BOYS   OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


♦' :  "• 


i  i 


1  *  I 


was,  that  instead  of  prosecuting,  he  ought  to  make 
the  school  a  present  of  some  kind,  —  say  a  couple  of 
barrels  of  apples,  in  return  for  their  skill  and  indus- 
try in  rebuilding  his  old  rickety,  tumble-down  stone 
wall.  Besides,  he  had  no  business  to  prosecute  Cap- 
tain Corbet.  Mr.  Long  was  the  guilty  party.  Why 
not  prosecute  him  ? 

On  the  whole  it  was  a  question  full  of  interest, 
and  as  the  appointed  hour  drew  near,  its  advent 
created  greater  and  greater  excitement. 

At  a  quarter  before  eleven  the  door  of  Dr.  Por- 
ter's house  opened,  and  out  came  Mr.  Long,  fol- 
lowed by  Captain  Corbet,  while  Mr.  Simmons  and 
the  doctor  brought  up  the  rear. 

Their  appearance  was  greeted  with  three  rous- 
ing cheers  by  all  the  beys ;  and  as  their  respected 
teachers  walked  on  towards  the  village,  the  entire 
school  followed  at  their  heels,  in  a  very  irregular, 
very  disorderly,  and  very  noisy  procession* 

The  place  where  the  trial  was  to  come  off  was 
about  half  way  between  the  Academy  and  Mud 
Creek.  It  was  in  a  small  hall  whic^o  ^^as  built  for 
lectures,  public  gatherings,  tea  meetings  and  so 
forth.  •  It  was  now  turned  into  a  court  of  law,  and 
the  awful  Rhadamanthus  who  presided  here  was  a 
well-known  and  very  popular  villager,  who,  by  some 
singular  freak  of  fortune,  had  been  made  a  justice 
of  the  peace.  His  name  was  Pieter  Schwab,  and 
he  was  of  Dutch  extraction.  He  was  short, 
round,  fat,  had  a  bald  head,  double  chin,  gray  and 


(  ! 


THE  TRIAL. 


9h 


Somewhat  fishy  eyes,  flaxen  hair,  pudgy  hands, 
thick,  wheezy  voice  ;  and  though  born  and  brought 
up  in  the  country,  he  still  spoke  with  that  musical 
and  mellifluous  Dutch  accent  which  he  had  inher- 
ited from  his  ancestors. 

As  the  party  from  the  hill  entered,  they  found 
Mr.  Pieter  Schwab,  justice  of  the  peace,  seated 
in  the  chair  of  justice.  The  prosecutor  was  there 
too,  with  a  large  number  of  villagers,  who  took  an 
intense  interest  in  the  case ;  and  when  the  boys 
crowded  in,  the  little  hall  was  crammed. 

One  cause  of  the  prosecution  —  indeed,  the  only 
cause  —  lay  in  a  certain  kind  of  hostility  which  ex- 
isted between  the  village  and  the  hill.  It  was  a  sort 
of  "  town  and  gown"  feeling,  which  was  not  confined 
to  the  village,  but  spread  over  the  country,  and  par- 
ticularly Gaspereaux.  It  was  this  feeling  which 
brought  the  villagers  at  the  present  time  to  the 
court  of  Rhadamanthus.  Still  there  was  not  so 
much  partisanship  on  this  occasion  as  there  would 
have  been  if  the  dispute  had  been  directly  be- 
tween the  village  and  the  hill;  for  Captain  Cjrbet 
was  the  one  who  was  prosecuted,  and  Captain  Cor- 
bet happened  to  be  a  great  favorite  in  the  village. 
The  villagers  present  were  therefore  very  uncer- 
tain in  their  sympathies ;  they  wished  the  hill  to 
be  beaten,  but  they  didn't  want  Captain  Corbet  to 
suff'er.  The  loss  of  the  Antelope,  which  seemed  by 
this  time  far  gone  to  destruction,  excited  additional 
sympathy;  and  as  h's  venerable  form  appeared,  a 


;  n  <  ■; 


IM      il' 


lit 


<       <* 


! 
•    i  . 


! 


Ill' 


:!! 


i  i.; 


96 


THE  BOYS   OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


murmur  of  friendly  feeling  went  round,  and  a  score 
of  horny  hands  were  stretched  out  to  grasp  his. 

The  suit  against  Captain  Corbet  was  for  the 
recovery  of  damages  incurred  by  the  illegal,  vio- 
lent, malicious,  injurious,  felonious,  dishonest,  ma- 
lignant, mischievous,  wanton,  secret,  forcible,  bur- 
glarious, and  criminal  removal  of  a  portion  of  the 
stone  wall  surrounding  the  potato  field  of  the 
prosecutor,  whereby  the  said  prosecutor  had  sus- 
tained grievous  harm  and  loss.  The  prosecutor,  in 
setting  forth  his  grievances,  stated  that  it  might 
have  been  made  a  criminal  action,  but  out  of  kind- 
ness to  Captain  Corbet  he  had  decided  to  make  it 
a  civil  one,  and  merely  wished  to  have  the  losses 
which  he  had  suffered  made  good. 

The  bill  of  damages  was  a  very  heavy  one, 
amounting  to  no  less  a  sum  than  five  hundred 
dollars  —  an  amount  which  poor  Captain  Corbet 
could  never  have  paid,  and  which  was  perfectly 
preposterous.  The  knowledge  of  this  excited  a 
fresh  demonstration  of  feeling  in  favor  of  the 
venerable  defendant;  and,  at  length,  even  before 
the  trial  had  fairly  begun,  there  was  not  a  villager 
present  who  was  not  heart  and  soul  in  favor  of 
Captain  Corbet. 

The  prosecutor  brought  forward  testimony  to 
prove  damages.  His  sole  testimony  consisted  of 
one  witness,  who  was  known  by  the  name  of  Old 
Zeke  —  a  poor  worthless  character,  whose  life  vi- 
brated between  begging  and  getting  drunk.     Ho 


1 1 


i      '  ! 


MB.   LONG   AS  A   LAWYER. 


91 


swore  that  on  a  certain  day  he  happened  to  bo 
down  by  the  creek,  and  saw  a  horse  in  the  field 
where  the  fence  had  boon  removed. 

Mr.  Long  proceeded  to  examine  this  witness. 
Mr.  Long  had  a  singularly  keen  and  acute  mind, 
and  the  witness  was  nothing  in  his  hands.  Old 
Zeke  in  a  few  minutes  became  so  confused  that 
he  could  not  testify  to  anything.  He  said  first 
that  the  day  was  Tuesday,  then  Wednesday,  then 
Thursday,  then  he  wouldn't  be  sure  but  that  it 
might  be  Friday,  then  Saturday,  and  at  length 
he  wouldn't  swear  but  that  it  might  have  been 
Sunday.  Finally,  he  said  that  he  wouldn't  swear 
to  the  day  at  all.  After  this,  he  was  so  pressed  by 
Mr.  Long,  that  he  thought  that  the  horse  might 
have  been  a  cow;  and  then  he  said  he  wouldn't 
swear  that  it  wasn't  a  sheep,  or  a  goat,  or  a  dog. 
Finally,  Mr.  Long  asked  him  on  his  oath  if  he 
would  swear  that  it  wasn't  a  rat,  and  Old  Zeke 
wouldn't  swear  that  it  wasn't  a  rat. 

Old  Zeke's  total  discomfiture,  however,  was  noth- 
ing to  Mr.  Long.  It  was  mere  child's  play.  He 
longed  to  close  with  a  worthier  antagonist  —  with 
the  prosecutor  himself  The  prosecutor  swore 
that  cattle  had  got  into  his  potato  field,  and  had 
done  damage  which  he  had  estimated  at  over  five 
hundred  dollars. 

Mr.  Long  now  proceeded  to  grapple  with  the 
prosecutor. 

Could  he  prove  damages  to  the  extent  of  five 
7 


ill 


fqw 


\'  i\ 


\i   "• 


\w 


fMilil 


•    1 1 

i 

t 

f 

i 

i 

i 

1 

H 

1 1 

1i 

V: 


98 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


hundred  dollars  ?  He  could,  ah  ?  And  how  ? 
Could  he  prove  that  any  cattle  had  got  in?  Had 
he  himself  seen  any  cattle  ?  No.  No  ?  Who, 
then,  had  seen  them  ?  Old  Zeke.  Old  Zeke  ? 
Very  good. 

Would  the  prosecutor  be  kind  enough  to  state 
which  of  the  cattle  that  Old  Zeke  had  seen  had 
done  the  damage  ?     Was  it  Old  Zeke's  rat ! 

At  this  a  roar  of  laughter  arose  from  the  specta- 
tors, who  were  now  in  the  highest  state  of  excite- 
ment. 

And  what  might  have  been  the  value  of  the 
potatoes  planted  there,  —  or  how  much  would  it 
cost  to  replant  them?  Two  dollars,  or  twenty? 
Over  how  m^.ch  ground  had  Old  Zeke's  rat  gone, 
and  how  many  potatoes  had  Old  Zeke's  rat  eaten? 
Would  he  swear  that  Old  Zeke's  rat  wouldn't  have 
eaten  the  potatoes  even  if  the  wall  had  been  stand- 
ing ?  Would  he  swear  that  it  was  possible  for  any 
one  rat,  in  five  or  six  days,  to  eat  up  five  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  potatoes? 

In  a  short  time  the  prosecutor  had  got  into  an 
awful  state  of  wrath  and  confusion.  But  Mr.  Long 
was  merciless,  and  had  made  up  his  mind  not  to 
spare  him.  So  he  rang  the  changes  on  Old  Zeke's 
rat  and  the  potatoes  till  all  the  assembly  were 
convulsed  with  laughter,  and  the  prosecutor  was 
purple  with  fury  and  bewilderment. 

Then  Mr.  Long  changed  his  tone  to  one  of 
greater  seriousness.     Alluding  to  the  prosecutor's 


THE   OROSS-EXAMl NATION. 


99 


oath,  that  the  damage  had  amounted  to  five  hun- 
dred dollars,  he  questioned  him  with  merciless 
severity  as  to  how  he  had  made  that  estimate. 

Had  he  dug  up  the  potatoes  to  see  if  they  had 
been  injured? 

No. 

Had  he  ploughed  up  the  field  and  sowed  it  again  ? 

No. 

The  field  remained,  then,  as  it  had  been  planted? 

Yes. 

On  his  oath,  did  he,  or  did  he  not,  expect  a  crop 

of  potatoes? 

Yes. 

How  much  was  planted  ? 

One  acre. 

How  much  would  be  raised? 

About  a  hundred  bushels. 

How  much  would  they  fetch  ? 

About  fifty  dollars. 

Making  allowance  for  expenses  of  digging,  what 
would  be  the  value  ? 

About  forty  dollars. 

All  these  replies  were  wrung  out  from  the 
prosecutor  only  by  extreme  pressure.  He  felt 
that  he  was  in  a  bad  position,  and  struggled  hard 
against  it.  His  face  grew  red,  and  big  drops  of 
perspiration  rolled  down  over  his  forehead. 

•'  Forty  dollars  I  "  Mr.  Long  thundered  out. 
"  And  yet  you  swear  to  five  hundred  dollars'  dam- 
age.    You  prosecute  an  aged,  a  virtuous,  and  an 


f  f 


'if-. 


11: 

II 

if 

!i: 

I  ii 


*    * 


i:!' 


ill 


:ii|S 


I 


1  - 


lOu 


THE   BOYS   OF  GRAND   PB6  SCHOOL. 


estimable  fellow-citizen,  and  you  dare  to  take  an 
oath  against  him  to  such  a  frightful  untruth  1  What 
is  this?  Is  it  malice,  or  what?  But  if  malice, 
what  is  there  that  could  ever  have  been  done 
against  you  by  one  so  simple-hearted  and  so  true 
and  honest  as  Captain  Corbet?  " 

All  this  produced  a  tremendous  effect,  on  the 
spectators, on  the  prosecutor,  and  on  Rhadamanthus. 

But  now  Mr.  Long  came  down  harder  than  ever 
upon  the  unfortunate  prosecutor.  He  declared 
himself  ready  to  prove  that  Captain  Corbet  never 
took  away  the  stone  fence  at  all. 

This  was  easily  done. 

First,  every  one  of  the  boys  was  summoned  to 
give  his  simple  statement  of  the  facts.  The  whole 
truth  came  out,  and  it  was  clearly  shown  that 
Captain  Corbet  must  have  been  in  total  ignorance 
of  the  whole  transaction.  To  the  testimony  of  the 
boys  was  added  that  of  Mr.  Simmons ;  and  he,  with 
all  the  rest,  alluded  in  touching  terms  to  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  captain  while  the  stone  wall  was 
disappearing.  Stone  walls  ?  Captain  Corbet  ?  He 
touch  them?  Why,  he  was  nursing  his  baby  at 
home  all  the  time  I 

As  the  boys  came  forward,  one  by  one,  Captnin 
Corbet  looked  at  them,  and  listened  in  eager  atten- 
tion, with  a  smile  of  love  on  his  meek  and  vener- 
able face.  As  they  spoke  of  \m  absence  from  the 
scene,  that  smile  broadened  into  one  of  deeper 
affection ;  but  finally,  as  they  spoke  of  his  occupa- 


MR.   long's  GIIKAT   SPEECH. 


101 


tion,  of  his  home,  of  that  morning  when  they  found 
him  there  with  his  baby,  it  was  too  much.  His 
heart  beat  fast,  —  a  flood  of  tender  recollections 
thronged  into  his  memory,  —  tears  started  to 
his  eyes. 

But  what  could  he  do  ? 

Nothing. 

He  could  only  grasp  the  hands  of  those  who 
stood  nearest,  and  wring  them,  and  murmur  broken 
words :  — 

"Yes,  sir.  That's  so.  That's  all  gospel  truth. 
It's  jest  so.  I  wasn't  nigh  the  echewner.  It  was 
the  babby.  Him  it  was.  I  was  a  nussin  of  him, 
an  a  feedin  of  him,  an  a  singin  an  a  hummin  to 
him.  An  I  knowed  nothin  more  about  that  thar 
stone  wall  than  the  man  in  the  mune." 

And  all  these  words  of  Captain  Corbet,  together 
with  the  simple  statements  of  the  boys,  combined 
to  strengthen  the  convictions  of  the  villagers  that 
the  poor  captain  was  a  deeply  injured  man. 

Now,  of  all  these  circumstances  which  tended  to 
establish  Captain  Corbet's  perfect  freedom  from  all 
possible  blame,  Mr.  Long  was  not  neglectful  of  a 
single  one.  He  gathered  them  all  up  in  his  mind, 
and  after  all  the  witnesses  had  been  examined, 
prepared  to  hurl  them  with  tremendous  force  at 
the  head  of  the  miserable,  and  now  almost  panic- 
stricken,  prosecutor. 

Mr.  Long  was  a  man  of  magnificent  presence  — 
tall,  leonine  in  aspect,  and  impressive  in  manner : 


s  i'! 


i:-i. 
i    I 


li 


f 


in 


102 


TFIE   BOYS   OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


<  '' 


-I 


li 


:i:' 


ho  joined  to  these  atlviuitages  a  wonderful  acuto- 
nesH  of  thought,  and  a  copious  flow  of  eloquent  lan- 
guage. Besides,  ho  was  stung  by  the  cowardly 
act  of  the  prosecutor,  who  utto,ck(;(l  poor  Captain 
Corbet,  instead  of  attacking  himself,  who  was  the 
real  culprit,  if  there  were  any  culprit ;  and  so  he 
determined  to  read  that  man  a  lesson  which  ho 
would  always  remember,  and  prepared  to  pour  out 
all  the  full  vials  of  his  wrath  upon  his  miserable 
head.  No  damage  whatever  had  been  done,  or 
could  have  been  done.  And  yet  this  man  tried  to 
ruin  Captain  Corbet  out  of  petty  spite.  That  was 
enough  for  Mr.  Long. 

He  began  by  a  sever©  review  of  the  prosecutor's 
statements,  and  a  still  more  severe  criticism  of  his 
charges  for  damages.  Old  Zeke's  rat  was  once 
more  brougt-;.  out  for  the  benefit  of  the  village 
audience,  and  light  jesting  was  mingled  with 
scathing  denunciation.  Old  Zeke  himself  did  not 
escape,  and  Mr.  Long  asked  his  hearers  to  judge 
what  kind  of  a  cause  it  was,  which  had  need  of 
such  a  witness. 

Then  he  showed  the  enormous  difference  be- 
tween the  utmost  value  of  the  potatoes,  even  if  all 
were  spoiled,  and  the  charge  made  by  the  prosecu- 
tor. The  fact  that  the  prosecutor  had  sworn  to 
five  hundred  dollars'  damage  was  enlarged  upon  in 
indignant  language,  which  accused  that  prosecutor 
of  nothing  less  than  perjury. 

Then,  taking  all  these  facts  together,  he  sought 


CAPTAIN   CORBET   VINDICATED. 


103 


for  a  motive,  and  could  find  notliiii^'  clso  than 
extreme  avarice  or  oxceHsive  malignity.  And 
against  whom?  Against  Captain  Corbet,  one  of 
our  oldest,  most  virtuous,  most  respected,  and 
most  venerable  citizens  ;  one  whose  character  Iiad 
never  before  been  impeached ;  one  who  was  loved 
and  revered  by  all ;  who  never  had  a  quarrel,  who 
had  never  made  an  enemy,  and  who  had  never 
stood  in  a  court  of  law  before  until  this  day. 

At  this  there  was  an  immense  sensation.  The 
boys  and  the  villagers  mingled  together  in  crowd- 
ing near  to  Captain  Corbet,  in  order  to  show  their 
sympathy  with  his  unmerited  woes. 

"  And  who  was  Captain  Corbet,"  he  asked,  at 
length,  "  against  whom  this  ruinous  charge  had 
been  made  ?  "  This  was  a  question  full  of  interest, 
for  it  led  him  to  consider  the  character  of  the 
defendant.  He  alluded  to  his  many  virtues,  his 
reputation,  his  popularity ;  he  touched  also,  in 
gentle  terms,  upon  his  recent  loss  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Antelope  ;  and  by  skilfully  intermingling 
the  excellences  of  Captain  Corbet  with  his  afflic- 
tions, he  excited  still  more  the  commiseration  of 
his  hearers. 

Finally,  he  considered  the  testimony  as  to  the 
actual  occupation  of  Captain  Corbet  while  the  fence 
was  being  taken  away. 

"  He  knew  nothing  whatever  about  it,"  said  Mr. 
Long,  —  "absolutely  nothing.  He  was  not  there. 
He  was  far  away.    Where  was  he  ?    Where  was  this 


I- 


;    til  !. 


:   icti 

;  fill    .    I- 


I, if  {:'■■■ 


104 


Tlin   BOYS   OP   GRAND   Pllfe   SCHOOL. 


m 


k  V     ' 


.  '  1 


I'  i 

! 


man  who  has  been  charged  with  being  a  trespasser 
and  Ji  thief?  Wliere  was  this  man  who  has  been 
accused  of  removing  his  neighbor's  landmarks,  and 
laying  waste  his  neiglibor's  fields  ?     Where  ?  " 

Mr,  Long  paused  for  a  moment,  and  his  eyes 
looked  all  around  over  the  crowd,  and  finally  set- 
tled upon  the  frightened  face  of  the  unhappy 
prosecutor. 

"  Where  was  he  ?  "  repeated  Mr.  Long. 

Again  he  paused,  perhaps  with  a  slight  feeling 
of  regard  for  the  poor  prosecutor ;  perhaps,  on  the 
other  hand,  with  a  desire  to  make  his  speech  more 
effective  ;  perhaps  carried  away  by  his  own  elo- 
quence, and  merely  seeking  the  most  appropriate 
language  with  which  to  clothe  his  vehement 
thoughts  ;  perhaps  because  he  faltered  for  an 
instant  before  he  should  say  what  was  in  his  mind 
to  say. 

"  Where  was  he  ? "  he  repeated  once  more. 
"  Where  ?  Why,  all  the  time  far  away  from  the 
schooner,  from  the  wharf,  and  from  the  stone  wall ; 
ignorant  of  everything  that  was  going  on ;  thinking 
of  far  different  things  —  seated  in  his  own  house, 
on  his  own  chair,  by  his  own  fireside.  Yes,  alone ; 
and  engaged  in  what  I  have  heard  him  call  a 
parent's  fondest  joy  !  Not  stealing  away  a  stone 
wall !  No  !  but  administering,  in  the  seclusion  of 
his  own  home,  to  the  necessities  of  his  offspring,  — 
supplying  nutriment  to  his  —  ah  —  infant  —  ah  — 
in  fact,  —  ah  —  nursing  with  his  own  hands  —  his 
- —  ah  —  his  baby  !  " 


THE   VICTORY. 


105 


Mr.  Long  stopped  abruptly.  Ho  saw  Captain  Cor- 
bet making  a  violent  effort  to  get  near  to  him  ;  but 
ho  avoided  him,  and  the  venerable  navigator  had 
to  pour  out  hia  I'eelingH  to  others  who  stood  nearer. 

The  end  of  it  all  was,  that  the  case  was  dismissed, 
and  the  prosecutor  had  to  pay  costs  —  though  that 
was  not  much. 

And  Captain  Corbet  was  for  a  short  time  the 
hero  of  the  village  and  of  the  hill.  As  ho  came 
forth  they  all  cheered  him  with  united  voices ;  and 
about  two  hundred,  consisting  of  men  and  boys, 
shook  hands  with  him. 

And  all  tho  boys  marched  along  with  him  nearly 
all  tho  way  to  his  home. 

And  then  they  went  to  the  hill,  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  day  in  discussing  the  famous 
trial. 

And  every  one  of  them,  from  Bruce  down  to  the 
smallest  boy  of  the  primary  department,  was  in  a 
state  of  frenzy  about  Captain  Corbet  and  Mr.  Long. 


Mi 


%:m 


llllv 


T 


106 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


VII. 

TJie  Valley  of  the  Gaspereaux.  —  Invading  the  Ene- 
my^ s  Territory.  —  Defiance.  —  Eeturning  Home 
to  find  their  own  Territory  invaded.  —  The 
Camp.  —  TJie  missing  Ones.  —  Wliere  are  they  ? 
—  TJie  Gaspereaugians  ? 


V 


^HE  next  night  the  noises  in  the  attic  were 
renewed.  Bart  lay  calmly  slumbering,  and 
remained  undisturbed,  but  all  the  rest  of 
the  boys  were  very  greatly  excited.  They  turned 
out  ^f  their  rooms,  and  talked  with  one  another  in 
the  halls,  and  most  of  them  passed  a  sleepless  night. 
Tom  and  Phil,  who  roomed  near  Bart,  knocked  at 
his  door  to  rouse  him.  He  got  up,  opened  the 
door,  and  declared  that  they  had  better  go  back  to 
bed.  He  assured  them  that  it  was  a  hoax,  and 
that  Pat  was  probably  at  the  bottom  of  it.  For 
his  part  he  was  sleepy,  and  wouldn't  bother  him- 
self about  it  that  night  at  any  rate.  So  Tom  and 
Phil,  seeing  his  indifference,  went  back  to  bed,  and 
fell  asleep.  Bruce  and  Arthur,  however,  being 
close  under  the  attic,  were  more  disturbed ;  and 
after  trying  in  vain  to  sleep,  they  rose,  took  a  lamp, 


1 


I 


T 


THE  MYSTERY   OF   THE   ATTIC. 


107 


and  went  up  into  the  attic.  Jiggins  again  met 
them  as  they  came  out  of  their  room,  at  his  door, 
but  declined  going  up.  So  the  two  brothers  went 
up  together,  and  looked  around  for  some  time  with- 
out finding  anything.  While  they  were  up  there 
the  noises  ceased ;  but  after  they  had  gone  down, 
disgusted  with  this  second  failure,  the  noises  were 
renewed.  But  familiarity  breeds  contempt,  and 
Bruce  himself  had  lost  his  superstitious  fear.  He 
was  convinced  that  it  was  a  hoax,  and  so  he  felt 
only  irritated  at  the  noise.  Having  failed  to  dis- 
cover the  cause,  both  he  and  Arthur  went  to  bed, 
and  for  the  rest  of  the  night,  in  spite  of  the  noises, 
they  slept  soundly. 

On  the  following  morning  Bruce  proposed  a 
walk  to  Gasporeaux.  All  acceded  to  this  proposi- 
tion except  Bart.  He  did  not  care  about  going. 
He  had  several  things,  he  said,  which  he  wished 
to  attend  to.  After  vain  efforts  to  persuade  him 
to  accompany  them,  an  arrangement  was  finally 
made  that  he  should  meet  them  at  the  camp  at  four 
o'clock.  This  Bart  acceded  to,  and  promised  to 
bring  provisions  enough  to  supply  them  all  with  a 
bounteous  and  a  generous  repast. 

The  school  was  all  alive  that  morning  with  excite- 
ment. Nothing  was  talked  of,  nothing  thought  of, 
but  the  unaccountable  noises  in  the  attic.  Again, 
as  before,  the  theories  of  superstition  were  put 
forth.  Again,  as  before,  Jiggins  and  Bogud  shook 
their  heads  solemnly  over  the  matter,  and  declared 


I, 


Ili 


108 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


riv         •■ 


#  ■■■ 


i\ 


'  '> 


Hmi 


i^:    n 


that  there  was  something  serious  in  it.  Again,  as 
before,  Pat  went  around  among  the  boys  giving  a 
terrific  account  of  his  own  experience,  and  expa- 
tiating upon  the  hardships  which  he  had  to  under- 
go in  living  in  a  room  which  was  close  to  that 
place  of  horror  —  the  attic.  But  in  spite  of  his 
professed  fear,  Pat  did  not  seem  to  suffer  in  bodily 
healfch  in  any  way.  His  appetite  was  as  good,  his 
complexion  as  ruddy,  and  his  spirits  as  active  as 
ever ;  and  all  the  boys,  as  they  heard  his  terrific 
experience,  wondered  how  he  could  stand  it  so 
well. 

Immediately  after  breakfast,  Bruce  and  the  other 
boys  started  off  for  Gaspereaux,  leaving  the  whole 
school  in  this  wild  state  of  excitement.  Bruce,  at 
the  breakfast  table,  had  entered  into  an  argument 
with  Jiggins  about  the  noise  in  the  attic,  in  which 
he  maintained  the  theory  that  it  was  a  hoax  by 
somebody.  Jiggins,  on  the  other  hand,  boldly 
asserted  that  the  noises  were  supernatural,  and 
announced  his  belief  that  it  was  done  by  some 
wandering  Frenchman  who  had  been  exiled  at  the 
expulsion  of  the  Acadians,  and  would  never  be  at 
rest  till  the  school  should  be  given  up.  Bogud, 
Billymack,  Johnny  Blue,  Sammy  Ram  Ram,  and 
Pat  supported  Jiggins ;  while  Muckle,  Bart,  Ar- 
thur, Tom,  and  Phil  sustained  Bruce.  The  argu- 
mentation was  tremendous,  but,  as  usual,  resulted 
in  nothing,  since  each  was  resolved  to  maintain  his 
own  opinion.     Of  those  who  thus  argued,  two  only 


1 


A   WALK   TO   GASPERBAUX. 


109 


understood  the  case :  the  one  was  Pat,  who  said 
a  great  deal  on  his  side  of  the  question ;  the  other 
was  Bart,  who  only  mado  an  occasional  remark, 
and  created  a  vague  surprise  by  his  general  re- 
serve. He  was  usually  outspoken  and  positive, 
but  now  he  contented  himself  with  general  re- 
marks and  indistinct  hints.  But  though  Bart  said 
little  on  this  occasion,  he  kept  his  eyes  open,  and 
observed  much.  He  noticed  Pat's  demeanor  in 
particular,  and  marked  the  eager  volubility  with 
which  he  supported  Jiggins's  theory.  This  only 
strengthened  his  belief  that  Pat  was,  as  he  said,  at 
the  bottom  of  it,  and  made  him  more  determined 
than  ever  to  concoct  some  plan  which  should  bring 
Pat  to  confusion,  and  force  him  to  a  confession. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things,  when  Bruce,  with 
his  friends,  started  off  to  Gaspereaux,  leaving  Bart 
behind  them,  with  the  understanding  that  he  should 
join  them,  with  provisions,  at  the  camp,  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  They  took  fishing-rods 
with  them,  and  anticipated  a  day  of  sport. 

The  valley  of  the  Gaspereaux  lay  about  a  mile 
behind  the  Academy,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  places  in  all  that  beautiful  country.  The 
river  has  its  origin  in  several  lakes,  which  are  only 
a  few  miles  away  from  the  sea ;  and  after  flowing 
from  these,  between  lofty  hills  and  over  precipices, 
where  it  falls  in  picturesque  cataracts,  it  winds  its 
way  onward  towards  the  Basin  of  Minas. 

On  either  side  arise  steep  slopes,  and  through 


m 


110 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


\*  '• 


the  narrow  valley  between  these  the  river  winds. 
It  is  only  a  small  stream  in  many  places,  easily 
fordable,  and  the  numerous  trout  at  certain  seasons 
make  it  a  favorite  resort  for  the  angler.  The  nar- 
row valley  is  dotted  with  trees  and  groves,  the 
borders  of  the  little  stream  are  lined  with  willows, 
the  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  and  amid  the  foli- 
age of  trees  and  the  green  vegetation  the  cottages 
of  the  farmers  and  the  tapering  spires  peep  forth, 
with  a  picturesque  beauty  which  adds  new  charms 
to  this  romantic  spot.  A  road  winds  down  one 
side  of  the  valley  and  up  the  other,  and  this  road 
crosses  the  stream  by  a  bridge,  which  forms  a  cen- 
tral spot,  from  which  the  eye  may  wander  over  a 
landscape,  which  for  soft  and  quiet  loveliness  may 
be  equalled  by  few,  and  surpassed  by  none,  of  those 
which  in  other  climes  have  been  celebrated  b^''  the 
poet  or  the  artist. 

But  to  venture  into  this  delightful  valley  was 
not  so  safe  for  the  boys  of  the  Grand  Pr^  school  as 
was  desirable.  To  go  there  was  to  penetrate  into 
an  enemy's  country,  and  to  encounter  all  the  dan- 
gers of  such  an  enterprise  For  the  feud  which 
raged  between  "  town  and  gown  "  extended  over  to 
Gaspereaux,  and  the  boys  of  this  valley  were  the 
chief  enemies  of  the  school.  The  winter  was  the 
great  season  for  campaigning,  and  then  many  were 
the  snow-ball  fights  which  took  place  between  the 
hostile  parties.  During  the  other  seasons  there 
was   a  kind  of  truce ;   the   Gaspereaugians  were 


I 


THEY   FISH. 


Ill 


generally  busy  on  their  farms,  and  no  pitched 
battles  occurred.  Still,  at  any  season,  it  was  not 
pleasant  for  any  one  belonging  to  the  school  to  find 
himself  alone  in  Gaspereaux.  For  this  reason  they 
generally  went  in  parties.  Sometimes,  also,  the 
Gaspereaugians  would  invade  the  Academy  woods, 
and  commit  various  depredations,  such  as  breaking 
the  dams,  or  tearing  down  the  camps.  Such  was 
the  state  of  things  at  this  time. 

Along  the  crest  of  the  hill  that  separates  Gaspe- 
reaux Valley  from  Grand  Pr^  there  ran  a  road 
originally  made  by  the  French  Acadians,  and  known 
as  the  Ridge  Road.  A  drive  along  this  affords  a 
series  of  the  most  magnificent  prospects  imagina- 
ble, and  it  was  a  favorito  walk  for  all  connected 
with  the  school.  Bruce  and  his  companions  did 
not  descend  at  once  into  the  valley,  but  turned  up 
the  Ridge  Road,  and  walked  along  for  some  dis- 
tance. At  last  they  descended  through  the  woods 
into  the  upper  part  of  the  valley,  and  came  to  the 
river.  It  was  quite  shallow,  and  the  boys  walked 
up  its  bed,  stepping  from  stone  to  stone,  and 
occasionally  taking  to  the  bank  as  they  came  to 
some  deep  spot.  They  all  had  brought  rods  and 
lines,  and  at  length  varied  their  pursuits  by 
fishing.  They  found  plenty  of  angle-worms  by 
turning  up  stones  here  and  there.  Phil  was  most 
successful,  for  he  succeeded  in  hooking  seven  very 
fine  trout.  Bruce  caught  four,  Arthur  three,  and 
Tom  five.     At  length  they  grew  tired  of  fishing. 


f        IS 


w 


112 


THE   BOYS   OP  GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


\  ! 


and  as  they  felt  hungry  they  made  a  fire,  and 
cooked  the  trout  on  the  coals.  They  had  no  salt, 
but  they  found  the  old  proverb  to  be  true,  that  hun- 
ger is  the  best  seasoning ;  and  so,  being  excessively 
hungry,  they  all  found  the  broiled  trout  delicious. 

Amusements  and  occupations  like  these  took  up 
many  hours,  and  so  the  time  passed,  till  at  length 
they  began  to  think  of  returning;  They  decid- 
ed to  go  back  through  the  valley,  and  beard  the 
lion  in  his  den,  by  facing  the  Gaspereaugians  in 
their  own  retreat. 

Oflf  they  all  started  then,  and  taking  the  road, 
they  walked  along  down  the  valley.  At  every 
step  they  expected  to  encounter  the  t  jemy ;  but, 
to  their  surprise,  no  enemy  appeared.  The  boys 
whom  they  saw  from  time  to  time  were  too  small 
to  deserve  notice.  Reaching  at  last  the  place 
where  the  road  wound  up  the  hill  and  went  to 
Grand  Pre,  they  turned  aside,  and  strolled  along 
to  the  centre  of  the  village.  This  was  where  the 
bridge  crossed  the  river.  It  was  a  beautiful  place. 
An  island  lay  midway,  and  just  above  the  bridge 
was  another  island.  Here  they  staid  for  some 
time,  and  fished  ;  but  no  fish  appeared.  What  was 
still  more  wonderful,  no  Gaspereaugians  appeared, 
either. 

They  could  not  account  for  it.  They  felt  disap. 
pointed.  It  seemed  like  a  slight.  After  waiting 
as  long  as  they  could,  they  had  to  turn  away  at 


THE  GA8PEREAUG1ANS. 


113 


last;  and  it  was  with  something  like  indignation 
that  they  started  back  to  the  Academy. 

mi 

Ihe  rest  of  the  journey  was  uneventful ;  but 
when  they  reached  the  camp  in  the  woods,  where 
they  expected  to  meet  Bart,  a  strange  and  startling 
sight  met  their  eyes. 

The  brook  ran  along  through  a  little  dell,  and  on 
either  side  the  banks  arose.  By  the  camp  the 
bank  on  one  side  was  steep,  and  covered  with  trees; 
but  the  other  side,  a  little  lower  down,  was  a  gen. 
tie  slope,  bare  of  trees,  and  green  with  short,  soft 
grass. 

And  on  this  place  Bruce  and  his  companions 
saw  a  crowd  of  boys  standing,  regarding  them 
with  hostile  faces,  and  apparently  bent  on  mis- 
chief. 

They  were  the  Gaspereaugians. 

The  Gaspereaugians ! 

Now  they  understood  it  all.  This,  then,  was  the 
reason  why  they  had  gone  through  Gaspereaux 
unmolested.  They  had  not  been  troubled,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  Gaspereaugians  had  them- 
selves  been  off  on  a  foray,  and  this  was  their 
enterprise.  They  wondered  what  had  become  of 
Bart  and  Solomon ;  and  as  Bruce  thought  of  this, 
a  dark  frown  came  over  his  face,  and  he  stood 
looking  at  the  Gaspereaugians  like  a  thunder-cloud. 
8 


r 


lU 


THE  BOYS  OF  URAND   I'Hk  SCHOOL.    . 


■  K 


I 

!    1 


VIII. 

Bart  and  Solomon  fall  into  an  Ambush,  and  after  a 
desperate  Resistance  are  made  Prisoners.  — Bonds 
and  Imprisonment.  —  Bruce  and  the  Gasper eau^ 
gians.  —  A  Challenge,  a  Conflict,  and  a  Victory. 
— Immense  Sensation  among  the  Spectators. — The 
Prisoners  burst  their  Bonds.  —  Their  Flight.  — 
Recovery  of  the  Spoils  of  War. 


w 


kEANWHILE  Bart  and  Solomon  had  been 
having  their  own  little  adventure.  They 
had  lelt  the  Academy  at  half  past  three,  so 
as  to  have  everything  ready  for  the  boys  by  four 
o'clock.  For  this  purpose  Solomon  carried  a 
basket  of  provisions,  filled  with  those  multiform 
and  very  attractive  dishes  which  his  rare  culinary 
genius  never  failed  to  create  whenever  a  fitting 
occasion  demanded  it. 

So  they  ascended  the  hill,  and  crossed  the  old 
French  orchard,  and  descended  into  the  gully,  and 
went  up  the  other  side  into  the  woods,  and  then 
walked  along  the  path  towards  the  camp. 

Suddenly,  as  tlioy  came  to  a  place  whore  the  path 
turned  to  the  left,  there  was  a  loud  shout  j  and  in 


CAPTURE   OP   BART   AND   SOLOMON. 


115 


an  instant  they  were  surrounded  by  some  twenty 
or  thirty  boys.  The  boys  were  rough  and  wild. 
They  were  dressed  in  homespun.  They  were 
strong-limbed,  red-cheeked,  horny-handed,  burly 
fellows ;  and  they  threw  themselves  violently 
upon  Bart  and  Solomon. 

Bart  struggled  bravely ;  but  what  could  he  do 
against  so  many  ?  In  his  despe  ;ate  struggles  he 
managed  to  knock  down  one  or  two  o^  them ;  but 
before  long  he  was  lying  down,  first  on  his  back, 
and  then  on  his  face,  and  his  hands  wore  tied  behind 
him.  Then  he  was  allowed  to  get  up.  He  did  so, 
and  found  himself  none  the  worse  for  the  rough-and- 
tumble  fight  which  he  had  been  indulging  in.  A 
pang,  however,  came  to  his  generous  heart  as  he 
saw  Solomon  with  his  hands  tied ;  and  another  pang, 
also,  as  he  saw  two  of  the  Gaspereaugians  carrying 
off  the  basket  with  all  its  precious  store  of  pro- 
visions. 

But  in  spite  of  his  situation,  Bart  did  not  for  a 
moment  lose  heart. 

"  Couldn't  you  have  managed  it  with  less  than 
thirty  ?  "  he  said,  quietly,  to  the  Gaspereaugians. 
"  Wouldn't  twenty  have  done  to  attack  mo  and  old 
Solomon  ?  " 

The  Gaspereaugians  looked  sulky  at  this. 

"  Ten,  I  should  say,"  resumed  Bart.  "  Ten  Gas- 
pereaugians ought  to  be  enough  for  one  of  us; 
and  if  so,  why  bring  thirty?  Answer  me  that. 
You  won't  ?    Very  well.     All  the  same." 


M 


T 


lie 


THE   BOYS   OF   (;itAND   VRk   SCHOOL. 


l* 


r 


I 


"  Here,  young  cluip,  —  you  dry  up  1 "  growled  a 
big  Oasporoaugian,  who  was  near  him.  "  Ten  of 
us  ?  I'll  show  you  that  I'm  a  match  fur  any  ten  o' 
youiia.     That  wuU  I  jist.     So  dry  up  !  " 

"  It's  quite  right  to  keep  mc  tied  up,"  resumed 
Bart,  cheerily.  "  I  might  do  you  harm,  and  I  only 
wonder  you  don't  tie  my  feet  too.  You  wouldn't 
be  safe  if  my  hands  were  loose,  —  of  course.  But, 
my  Gaspereaugian  friends,  wliy  bind  the  hands  of 
my  aged  companion?  He  won't  hurt  you.  He's 
one  of  your  own  people.  His  home  is  in  your  own 
charming  valley.  You  all  know  old  Solomon.  I 
guarantee  that  he  shall  not  harm  one  of  you.  So, 
my  friends,  unbind  his  aged  hands." 

"  You  shut  your  mouth,"  growled  the  big  Gas- 
pereaugian, "  or  I'll  precious  soon  make  you.  I 
know  you,  —  young  f'ler,  —  no  humbug!  You're 
the  chap  that  blacked  my  eye  with  a  snowball  last 
winter." 

"  Was  it  you  ?  "  said  Bart,  with  a  laugh.  "  That 
is  capital !  If  I  wasn't  tied  up,  I'd  insist  on  shaking 
hands  with  you.  And  did  I  black  your  eye  ?  Ha, 
ha,  hal  I  never  knew  that  before.  It  was  a 
capital  shot.  I  remember,  now  that  you  mention 
it.  But  look  here  —  you  gave  me  somoLfiing  back. 
You  gave  me  a  snowball  that  set  my  nose  bleeding 
for  half  an  hour ;  and  that,  I  think,  was  about  the 
only  blood  that  was  shed  in  all  our  battles." 

Bart  spoke  with  such  jolly  carelessness,  and  such 
good  humor,  that  his  fun  was  contagious,  and  the 


BART  IS  SARCASTIC. 


117 


Gaeperoaugians  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter.  Evoa 
the  big  fellow  who  had  threatened  him  joined  in 
the  laugli,  and  a  m:irmur  went  round  among  them 
to  the  effect  that  this  prisoner  wasn't  a  bad  fellow. 

"  Solomon,"  said  Bart,  "  Solomon,  my  sable  friend, 
how  do  you  feel  ?  " 

"  Tip  top,"  said  Solomon,  with  a  grin. 

<'  Solomon  ?  " 

"  Yes,  s'r." 

"  They're  going  to  tie  us  up  tighter.  They're 
so  afraid  of  us  !     Do  you  think  you  can  stand  it  ?  " 

"  Stan  it  ?  Yes,  s'r.  'Tain't  nufiin.  All  same 
to  an  ole  niggar  like  me.  I  knows  ebery  one  ob 
dem.     I'm  Gasperojum  myself." 

"  Fellow-citizens,"  said  Bart,  "  and  gentlemen  of 
the  Gaspereaux  Valley,  I  appeal  to  your  chivalry  1 
Is  it  generous,  or  noble,  or  chivalrous,  to  bind  the 
hands  of  my  aged  friend?  I'll  give  my  word  that 
he  shan't  knock  down  more  than  a  dozen  of  you,  if 
you  let  him  loose.  Come  now,  aren't  there  a 
dozen  of  you  that  will  be  willing  to  be  knocked 
down  for  the  sake  of  alleviating  the  woes  of  an 
aged,  a  virtuous,  and  an  occasionally  rheumatic 
African?  Besides,  you  don't  know  what  he  is. 
He's  not  a  common  person.  He's  a  Grand  Pan- 
jandrum." 

"  0,  you  Panjer  danjer  yerself,  an  see  how  you 
like  it  1 "  growled  the  big  Gaspereaugiau,  who  felt 
some  slight  fear  that  Bart  was  making  fun  of  him. 

"  See  here,"  said  Bart ;  "  since  you've  tied  us  up, 


I'  1 


I- 


U8 


THE  BOYS  OP  OIIAND   PRfc  SCHOOL. 


\l^ 


»       I 


hadn't  you  bettor  tio  up  that  basket  of  provisions, 
too  ?  If  you  haven't  got  any  cord,  you  may  take 
what  1  have." 

This  was   received  with   roars  of  laughter,  to 
which  Bart  listened  with  unaltered  placidity. 

Meanwhile,  as  Bart  had  been  speaking,  he  had 
been  trying  his  fetters,  and  found  them  not  so  tight 
but  that  he  could  work  his  hands  free.  His  jests 
about  their  tying  his  hands  made  the  Gaspereaugians 
ashamed  to  secure  them  more  tightly.  Some  of 
them,  indeed,  were  in  favor  even  of  untying  him. 
But  Bart  had  been  hurriedly  bound,  and  his  hands 
were  small,  so  that  to  slip  them  through  the  bonds 
was  not  a  work  of  difficulty.  He  soon  found  out 
this,  but  kept  his  own  counsel,  and  held  his  hands 
rigidly  behind  him,  as  though  they  were  bound  too 
tightly  to  be  moved.  As  he  spoke  he  looked  all 
around  watchfully,  so  as  to  see  his  chances  of 
escape.  To  slip  his  hands  was  easy  whenever  he 
chose.  Had  it  been  himself  alone  that  was  con- 
cerned, he  would  have  made  a  dash  into  the  woods, 
and  could  have  easily  eluded  pursuit.  But  he 
could  not  leave  Solomon ;  and  so  he  waited  in  the 
hope  that  some  favorable  juncture  might  arrive 
when  he  could  free  his  companion  also. 

The  Gaspereaugians  now  led  them  away  across 
the  brook  that  ran  by  the  camp  and  took  up  their 
station  on  the  other  side,  on  that  smooth,  grass- 
grown  slope  which  has  already  been  mentioned. 
Bart  and  Soiomon  were  put  inside  of  a  half-finished 


THE  CORDS  UNTIED, 


119 


hut  of  Hpruce,  which  Homo  of  the  boys  had  been 
building'.  Tliiough  the  interstices  of  the  branches 
they  could  see  the  camp  of  the  "  B.  O.  W.  C."  per- 
fectly well.  It  was  not  far  away,  and  the  Gas- 
pereaugians  were  debating  whether  to  go  and  pull 
it  down  now,  or  to  wait  until  some  more  boys 
might  come. 

In  the  midst  of  this  debate,  Bruce  came  upon  the 
scene,  with  his  companions ;  and  they,  after  looking 
hastily  around,  had  found  themselves  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  invading  host.  There  stood  Bruce  in 
full  view  <  )f  Bart  and  Solomon ;  his  brows  lower- 
ing darkl\  and  menacingly,  and  a  stern  interroga- 
tion in  his  face,  before  which  the  Gaspereaugians 
as  first  seemed  to  quail. 

"  What  do  you  want  here,  you  fellows  ?  "  said 
Bruce,  at  last. 

There  was  no  reply  for  nearly  a  minute.  The 
eyes  of  all  the  Gaspereaugians  were  fixed  upon  the 
speaker,  but  no  one  answered. 

At  this  moment,  Bart,  finding  himself  unobserved, 
slipped  his  hands  out  of  their  bonds,  and  quickly 
untied  those  of  Solomon. 

"  Now,  Sol,"  he  said,  "  there's  going  to  be  a  row. 
This  is  our  chance.  When  I  start,  you  follow.  But 
don't  start  till  I  do.     Mind,  now  !  " 

"  Yes,  s'r,"  said  Solomon,  with  his  usual  grin. 
"  I'm  yours  till  dof,  —  slave  or  free,  —  live  or  dead, 
—  sure's  a  gun,  —  an  ebber  faitful  I  " 

And  now  Bart  looked  all  around,  waiting  for  a 
chance  to  start. 


; 

I 


1 


m' 


■!■■«■■ 


120 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfi  SCHOOL. 


P 


it  ' 


The  Gaspereaugians  had  forgotten  all  about  their 
prisoners.  Other  things  far  more  exciting  pre- 
sented themselves.  There  stood  Bruce ;  and  once 
more  his  lordly  and  imperious  voice  rang  out,  — 

"  What  are  you  fellows  doing  here  ?  Away  with 
you  all  —  every  one  of  you  I " 

Bruce  was  tall,  and  broad-shouldered,  and  stout, 
and  muscular.  His  hat  sat  loosely  on  his  head,  and 
his  hair  clustered  in  careless  cuils  about  his  broad 
forehead.  His  eyes  seemed  to  flash,  and  his  thin 
nostrils  quivered  with  disdain.  He  looked  like  a 
statue  of  Apollo,  as  he  stood  there,  in  the  glow  of 
his  youthful  strength  and  beauty,  and  faced  down 
his  enemies.  Their  very  numbers,  instead  of  over- 
awing him,  only  served  to  rouse  to  the  utmost  the 
whole  vigor  of  his  soul,  and  stirred  up  his  proud, 
bold  spirit  to  a  scornful  self  assertion. 

A  movement  now  took  place  among  the  Gas- 
pereaugians, and  murmurs  passed  through  them. 
At  length  the  big  fellow  who  had  been  so  fierce 
with  Bart  went  forward  from  out  the  crowd  of  his 
companions,  to  the  place  where  Bruce  was  stand- 
ing by  the  pool  of  the  camp.  He  was  a  big,  hulk- 
ing, clumsy,  low-browed  fellow,  with  a  heavy  gait 
and  sullen  face.  He  was  taller  and  stouter  than 
Bruce,  and  evidently  considered  himself  the  cham- 
pion of  his  party.  As  he  approached,  }3ruce  stood, 
with  folded  arms,  regarding  him,  while  his  lips 
curled  into  a  smile. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  in  a  gay  and  careless  tone, 
"what  can  1  do  for  you?" 


THE  WRESTLING   MATCH. 


121 


The  big  fellow  cla,mbered  up  the  dam,  and  stood 
in  front  of  Bruce. 

"  Whar's  Bruce  Rawdon  ?  "  he  said,  looking 
round,  and  pretending  not  to  know  that  he  was 
there  before  him.  "  Whar's  this  Bruce  Rawdon 
that  youns  brag  on?  Put  him  down  here,  fur  1 
want  to  hev  a  trial  with  him  —  I  want  to  wrastle." 

"  My  good  fellow,"  said  Bruce,  "  I'm  Bruce  Raw- 
don, and  I'm  quite  at  your  service.  Only  you  are 
mistaken  if  you  think  that  we  brag  on  any  one. 
We're  not  a  bragging  camp." 

The  Gaspereaugian  looked  at  him,  and  made  ii 
ridiculous  grimace. 

"So  this  is  Bruce  Rawdon  I  '  said  he  —  "this 
here  I  Wal,  Rawdon,  let's  wrastle.  We'll  decide 
who's  the  best  man.  On'y  take  care  of  your  close, 
my  fine  feller.  I'm  generally  considered  rough. 
Yes,  rough  as  a  bar,  —  that's  what  I  be." 

"  All  right,"  said  Bruce,  quietly,  and  in  a  minute 
he  had  flung  off  his  hat,  coat,  and  waistcoat. 

"  I'll  keep  my  duds  on,"  said  the  Gaspereaugian ; 
"  on'y  that  —  that's  by  way  of  defyin'." 

And  saying  this  he  flung  his  hat  on  the  ground. 

Upon  this  the  two  champions  prepared  to 
grapple. 

The  place  where  they  stood  was  a  grass  plot  on 
one  side  of  the  pool.  The  pool  was  full  to  the 
brim.  The  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  stood  on  the  dam.  The 
Gaspereaugians  stood  about  twenty  paces  o^.  It 
was  a  moment  of  intense  excitement. 


f 


Itil 


■M 


122 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


?■ 


For  a  few  seconds  they  stood  with  extended 
arms,  warily  regarding  one  another.  Then  Bruce 
made  a  plunge  forward,  and  before  the  other  could 
guard  against  it,  he  had  caught  him  around  the 
waist,  under  his  arms. 

Bruce  had  p-ot  the  "  underhold." 

The  two  were  now  locked  in  a  close  embrace, 
and  for  a  few  moments  the  big  Gaspereaugian 
made  tremendous  efforts  to  throw  his  antagonist. 
But  the  efforts  were  unsuccessful.  Bruce  did  not 
exert  himself  much,  but  quietly  evaded  the  efforts 
of  the  other,  and  still  held  his  adversary  in  an  un- 
relaxing  grasp. 

The  Gaspereaugians  now  began  to  look  anxious. 
Bruce's  face  was  so  calm,  his  actlun  was  so  quiet, 
he  seemed  to  make  so  little  effort  in  spite  of  the 
immense  exertions  of  his  antagonist,  that  he  ap- 
peared to  show  some  vast  reserve  of  strength  in 
store,  ready  to  be  put  forth  at  some  sudden 
moment. 

The  Gaspereaugian  was,  in  truth,  a  big,  burly 
fellow,  whose  muscles  had  been  developed  by  a 
life  of  hard  labor  on  a  farm ;  but  he  was  slow,  and 
clumsy,  and  ignorant  of  all  skill  in  wrestling.  Now, 
Bruce  v/as  an  adept  in  almost  every  active  sport ; 
while  his  limbs  were  so  admirably  knit,  and  his 
muscular  development  was  so  splendid,  that  even 
on  the  score  of  brute  strength  he  soon  gave  evi- 
dence that  he  overmatched  the  other  ;  at  the  same 
time,  he  made  it  apparent  that  his  strength  was 


III 


I'll 


BRUCE  CONQUBaS. 


123 


only  half  put  forth.  The  Gaspereaugians  grew 
more  anxious  every  moment,  while  Arthur,  Tom, 
and  Phil,  who  had  never  for  an  instant  doubted  the 
result,  felt  their  excitement  increasing  to  an  un- 
endurable degree. 

Bruce  soon  showed  what  his  idea  had  been  in 
these  manoeuvres.  He  had  now  worked  himself 
around,  so  that  his  back  was  towards  the  pool, 
and  the  Gaspereaugian  had  made  one  violent 
effort  to  push  him  in  backwards.  It  was  in  vain. 
Bruce  stood  like  a  rock.  Then  suddenly,  as  the 
Gaspereaugian's  efforts  slackened  somewhat,  Bruce 
flung  his  right  arm  around  him  lower  down,  and  by 
one  quick  and  tremendous  effort  of  strength  raised 
him  up  into  the  air.  In  an  instant  the  fellow's  legs 
spun  upward  ;  he  appeared  to  turn  a  back  summer- 
set, and  then,  —  down  he  went,  all  sprawling,  on 
his  back,  with  his  arms  and  legs  extended  wildly, 
straight  into  the  pool  I 

*'  No  sound  of  joy  or  sorrow 
Arose  from  either  bank, 
But  friends  and  foes,  in  dumb  surprise, 
With  parted  lips  and  straining  eye:*, 
Stood  gazing  where  he  sank.'* 

Thus  far  the  two  prisoners  had  remained  in  con- 
finement. They  might  easily  have  escaped  ;  their 
hands  were  free,  and  no  one  was  paying  any  atten- 
tion to  them,  but  they  remained  there.  Solomon 
would  not  go  till  Bart  led  the  way ;  and  Bart  was 
too  tremendously  excited  by  the  struggle  to  think 


124 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


of  moving.  He  stood  there  rooted  to  the  spot, 
staring  with  intense  interest.  At  last  the  end 
came,  and  as  Bart  saw  the  Gaspereaugian's  legs  go 
tossing  up,  and  saw  him  fall  splashing  into  the  pool, 
he  touched  Solomon,  and,  followed  by  him,  he 
darted  into  the  thick  shrubbery.  The  basket  of 
provisions  stood  there  neglected;  this  Bart  seized 
as  he  passed,  and  gave  it  to  Solomon.  After  this 
they  made  a  circuit  to  get  to  the  camp. 

Meanwhile  the  discomfited  wrestler  had  scram- 
bled to  his  feet  in  the  pool  of  water,  and  stood  for 
a  time  up  to  his  waist,  sputtering,  blowing,  and 
gasping  for  breath.  The  boys  stood  looking  on ; 
and  Bruce  watched  him  quietly,  not  knowing 
whether  the  struggle  would  be  renewed  or  not. 
But  the  Gaspereaugian  did  not  make  any  advances 
towards  resuming  the  conflict.  He  himself  had 
been  foiled  so  completely  in  his  most  desperate 
efforts,  and  the  tremendous  strength  of  those  arms 
which  had  raised  him  in  the  air  and  flung  him  into 
the  pool  was  so  formidable  to  his  imagination,  that 
he  was  not  at  all  inclined  for  another  trial.  The 
one  trial  had  sufiiced.  So  he  slouched  off,  with  his 
sulky  face  bent  down,  and  soon  joined  his  crest- 
fallen companions. 

Scarcely  had  he  joined  them  than  a  shout  was 
heard  near  the  camp.  Bruce  and  the  other  boys 
turned,  and,  to  their  delight  and  surprise,  saw  Bart 
and  Solomon,  with  the  basket  of  provisions. 

"  Hurrah  I  "  cried  Arthur ;  "  why,  Bart,  we  were 
afraid  you'd  come  to  grief." 


AFTER  THE  VICTORY. 


125 


"  So  we  did,"  said  Bart ;  "  we  were  captured  — 
we're  escaped  prisoners  of  war." 

"  Captured  !     Prisoners  of  war  I  "  cried  Bruce. 

«  Yes,"  said  Bart. 

«  How  ?  " 

"  About  an  hour  ago  we  came  up  and  fell  into  an 
ambush." 

"  But  how  did  you  manage  to  get  away  ?  " 

Upon  this  Bart  told  them  all  about  it,  and  his 
story  was  received  with  unbounded  delight,  and 
gave  rise  to  no  end  of  fun.  What  was  best  was, 
the  fact,  not  merely  that  they  had  escaped,  but  that 
they  had  brought  off  the  basket  also  in  safety. 

Suddenly  Bart  looked  at  his  watch. 

«  Brethren  of  the  '  B.  0.  W.  C.,'  "  said  he,  «  it's 
only  sixteen  minutes  after  four.  Thus,  after  so 
many  adventures,  —  after  ambushes,  fights,  and 
captivities,  —  we  have  succeeded  in  keeping  our 
appointment,  and  are  not  more  than  sixteen  minutes 
behind  time." 

Upon  this  Solomon  carried  the  basket  into  the 
camp,  and  the  others  followed,  and  prepared  to  take 
their  lunch  as  coolly  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  Gaspereaugians.  It 
was  a  bitter  mortification  for  them  to  witness  the 
defeat  of  their  companion ;  it  was  equally  ag- 
gravating to  see  their  prisoners  reach  their  friends, 
carrying  with  them  their  basket ;  and  all  this 
reached  its  climax  when  they  saw  the  quiet  prep* 
arations  for  a  lunch. 


h 

'!-'.i 


ii-    t 


'  ■''iff ' 


t  -    .   '';! 


1    ' 

!'■  • 

!■:■  ' 

126 


THE  COYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


They  stood  in  that  state  of  mind  and  body  which 
is  expressed  by  the  remarkable  word  —  dumb- 
foundered. 

But  what  could  they  do  ? 

Hostilities  did  not  seem  to  be  very  attractive 
now,  for  the  defeat  of  their  champion  had  greatly 
changed  the  aspect  of  affairs.  To  stand  there 
stupidly  looking  on  was  also  not  quite  the  thing. 
They  had  come  to  indulge  in  a  general  triumph 
over  the  school  —  and  this  was  the  end  !  They 
hesitated  for  some  time,  and  stood  in  doubt. 

But  their  indecision  was  at  last  ended.  Their 
champion  walked  off  silently  and  sulkily;  and 
they,  seeing  the  leader  go,  slov^ly  filed  away  after 
him.    And  so  — 

Exeunt  omnes  Gaspereaugienses  I 


IN  CAMP. 


127 


IX. 


A  Banquet  begun,  hut  suddenly  interrupted.  —  The 
faroff  Roar.  —  Off  in  Search  of  it.  —  Keeping 
Watch  at  the  old  French  Orchar(^.~- Another 
Hoar,  and  another  Chase. — Soliloquies  of  Solomon. 
—  Sudden,  amazing,  paralyzing,  and  utterly  con- 
founding Discovery.  ~  One  deep,  dark,  dread 
Mystery  stands  revealed  in  a  familiar  hut  absurd 
Form. 

^HE  boys  now  began  a  very  pleasant  repast 
in  their  camp.  Solomon  had,  as  usual,  done 
justice  to  the  occasion.  He  had  chickens, 
turkeys,  mince  pies,  and  other  articles  too  nu- 
merous to  mention.  The  boys  had  enough  to  talk 
about ;  for  Bart  had  to  narrate  again  the  story  of 
his  captivity,  and  Bruce  had  to  give  an  account 
of  their  wanderings  through  the  vaUey  of  the  Gas- 
pereaux. 

The  departure  of  the  invading  host  was  viewed 
by  the  boys  without  any  demonstrations  of  excite- 
ment whatever.  They  tried  to  act  as  though  they 
were  perfectly  indifferent  to  their  movements ;  and 
ha\ing  gained  the  solid  results  of  a  victory,  they 
did  not  care  to  heighten  its  brilliancy  by  any  vain 

„♦      ■  ■ 


if  ■' 


128 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


f  ' 


display  of  triumph.  The  triumph  that  was  in  their 
hearts  was  enough.  They  knew  also  that  the  Gas- 
pereaugians  would  feel  an  additional  mortification 
when  they  reached  home  ;  for  then  they  would 
there  learn  that  Bruce  and  his  party  had  penetrated 
to  the  very  centre  of  their  territory,  and  had  vir- 
tually done  defiance  by  lingering  so  long  by  the 
bridge. 

By  that  memorable  exploit  the  camp  in  the  woods 
had  now  become  hallowed.  Henceforth  it  was  to 
bear  in  their  eyes  the  charm  of  historic  associa- 
tions. They  felt  that  their  labor  in  building  it  had 
not  been  in  vain.  In  truth  it  was  a  pleasant  spot ; 
and  apart  from  any  other  associations,  its  own  quiet 
beauty  was  sufiicient  to  give  it  strong  attractions. 
Its  walls  arose  above  them,  surmounted  by  its  roof, 
all  interwoven  with  the  fragrant,  balsamic  branches 
of  fir  trees.  They  had  chosen  fir  in  preference  to 
others  for  the  reason  that  the  spines  of  the  fir 
branches  will  cling  for  months  before  drooping; 
whereas  the  hemlock,  the  spruce,  the  pine,  and 
most  other  trees  of  that  kind,  are  of  such  a  nature 
that  their  spines  will  not  cling  to  the  severed 
branch  for  much  more  than  a  week.  And  here 
were  the  dark  green  walls,  cool,  and  shadowy, 
and  fragrant.  Over  the  floor  was  a  thick,  deep 
carpeting  of  soft  moss,  suitable  for  a  seat,  or  for  a 
couch.  Outside,  all  the  scene  was  shut  in  by  the 
lofty  trees  which  bordered  the  little  dell.  Just 
behind  them  the  brook  bubbled  and  babbled  over 


li  i 


AN  INTERRUPTION. 


129 


i 


rocks  and  pebbles,  till  it  fell  into  the  pool.  The 
pool  itself,  their  handiwork,  was  not  the  least  of 
the  attractions.  Its  waters  were  deep  enough  to 
bathe  in,  and  made  a  pleasant  contrast  to  those 
surrounding  trees  which  it  reflected  in  its  mirror- 
like surface.  Farther  down,  the  brook  passed  on, 
bordered  on  one  side  with  trees,  and  on  the  other 
by  that  grassy  knoll  where  late  the  beleaguering 
Gaspereaugians  had  stood.  On  it  went,  past  the 
trees,  j  dst  the  knoll,  through  underbrush  and  mosses, 
until  at  length  it  was  lost  to  view  in  the  forest. 
But  amid  all  these  beautJes,  the  one  object  which 
was  dearest  to  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  was  that  which 
they  had  fixed  over  the  door  as  at  once  a  memo- 
rial of  the  past  and  a  stimulus  to  adventurous 
deeds  in  the  future.  It  was  the  jaw  of  the  big 
fish.  Tney  had  for  a  while  been  undecided  as  to 
its  destination,  and  were  on  the  point  of  giving  it 
to  the  Museum,  but  at  last  decided  on  placing  it 
there.  There  it  accordingly  was,  grinning  pleas- 
antly with  its  triangular  teeth,  and  inviting  every 
one  to  enter. 

Thus  they  were  seated  at  their  lunch,  with  Solo- 
mon a  little  apart,  looking  at  them  like  a  father, 
engaged  in  pleasing  conversation  upon  all  the 
topics  which  their  recent  varied  adventures  might 
suggest,  recounting  the  past,  enjoying  the  present, 
and  speculating  on  the  future,  when  suddenly  there 
came  an  interruption,  which  in  a  moment  put  a 
full  stop  to  everything. 
9 


m 


0 


p 


M 

i. 


il. 


if 


130 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PBii:  SCHOOL. 


It  was  a  distant  sound. 

Now  a  distant  sound  must  have  been  very  pecu- 
liar to  have  caused  such  excitement  as  this. 

Very  well  —  this  was  very  peculiar. 

It  was  a  harsh,  dissonant  roar,  a  noise,  in  fact, 
that  could  not  bo  called  a  roar  exactly,  but  some- 
thing half  way  between  a  roar  and  a  howl,  repeat- 
ing itself  over  and  over,  and  pealing  from  afar  upon 
their  startled  ears  in  tremendous  echoes.  There 
was  no  mistaking  that  sound.  It  was  the  same  as 
the  one  that  had  so  startled  them  on  the  memora- 
ble night  of  the  money-digging,  and  had  sent  them 
flying  in  confusion  from  the  spot. 

The  boys  all  looked  at  one  another  with  glances 
of  deep  meaning.  Not  one  of  them  was  fright- 
ened now.  Solomon  was  only  curious ;  in  him  the 
broad  day  destroyed  any  superstitious  feeling. 
Had  it  been  dark,  he  would  have  been  as  terrified 
as  he  was  before. 

The  noise  was  repeated  over  and  over  as  they 
listened,  and  at  last  it  ceased.  It  sounded  like  the 
conglomeration  of  the  bellow  of  a  bull,  the  roar  of 
a  lion,  the  yell  of  a  madman,  and  the  shriek  of  a 
steam-whistle,  intermixed  with  other  harsh  and  dis- 
cordant noises  that  can  scarcely  be  defined;  and 
the  whole  result  was  one  which  can  certainly  not 
be  likened  to  anything  at  all. 

"  That  settles  it  1 "  said  Bart  at  last. 

"What?"  asked  Tom. 

"  Well,  I've  been  giving  the  Gaspereaugians  the 


I 


Ml       !' 


\     y 


A   SEARCH. 


131 


credit  of  that  row  at  tho  money-hole,  aiul  when 
they  caino  to-day  I  was  certain  of  it ;  but  this 
shows  that  they  could  have  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  It's  over  there,  between  us  and  the  Academy, 
and  sounds  now  in  the  direction  of  the  money- 
hole." 

"  Now's  the  time  to  find  it  out,"  said  Bruce.  "  I 
was  going  to  propose  a  watch  to-niglit,  to  see  if  we 
could  get  at  the  bottom  of  it.  This  is  lucky,  for 
we  can  examine  it  by  daylight." 

"  It's  the  very  same  noise,"  said  Arthur. 

"  0,  there's  no  doubt  about  it,"  said  Phil,  "  only 
it's  farther  off.  That  night  the  roar  seemed  to 
burst  forth  just  behind  me.  It's  tho  same  in  kind, 
only  less  in  degree,  as  Mr.  Simmons  says." 

"  Come  along  then,  boys,"  said  Bart.  "  Don't 
let's  lose  any  time.  It  must  be  somewhere  about 
the  old  French  orchard.  Hurry  up  1  "  and  with 
these  words  they  all  started  off. 

"  De  gracious  I  "  cried  Solomon.  "  Where  you 
gwine  to  ?  You  won't  find  nuffin.  Dem  sorts  ob 
tings  don't  'low  derselves  to  be  caught,  mind,  I 
tell  you  1  Come  back,  chil'en,  an  finish  yer  dinna, 
an  don't  go  actin.  An  me's  been  a  cookin  for 
you  like  all  possessed.  What's  to  become  ob  an 
ole  darky  ef  you  won't  eat  ?  Dis  heah  ain't  de 
proppa  conduc  fur  de  Bee  See  Double.  I'll  frow 
up  my  office.  I  won't  be  a  Granpander  any 
longer." 

But  the  boys  hurried  away,  and  Solomon's  voice 


132 


THE   BOYS   OP   ORAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


I 

1 

i' 
1 

i 

i^l 


Hi 


Bounded  upon  tlio  empty  air.  Thereupon  he  began 
collectin/ji;  tlio  dishes  and  eatablos;  and  replacing 
them  in  iiia  bt'sket. 

Leaving  Solomon  thus,  the  boys  hurried  on  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement.  The  mystery  had  thus 
far  weighed  lunivily  on  all  their  spirits.  In  Bruce 
it  may  have  been  superstitious  feeling  which  made 
it  opprosnive  to  him;  but  in  the  others  it  was  the 
mortification  of  their  retreat  and  panic,  and  the  un- 
ploasantijcHs  of  not  being  able  to  account  for  the 
cause.  The  pounds,  as  far  as  they  could  judge, 
seemed  to  come  from  the  old  French  orchard ;  but 
Bruce  insisted  that  it  issued  from  the  woods.  This 
formed  the  subject  of  loud  debate  among  them  as 
they  went  on.  The  majority,  however,  were  against 
Bruce,  and  thought  that  it  was  farther  away  than 
the  limit  of  the  woods. 

"  Can  it  be  any  of  the  boys,  after  all  ?  "  said  Bart, 
as  they  went  along  the  path.  "  Can  Pat  have  in 
his  possession  any  very  remarkable  kind  of  fish- 
horn  or  fog-horn  ?  " 

"  Pat  ?  Nonsense  !  "  said  Arthur.  "  Do  you  think 
that  any  power  of  Pat's  could  produce  such  a 
noise  ?  " 

"  0, 1  don't  know.  Ho  may  have  a  private  pocket 
steam  engine,  and  occasionally  let  off  steam  to  amuse 
himself.'^ 

"You'll  have  to  hunt  farther  than  Pat,"  said 
Bruce,  seriously. 

"  Why,  man  alive  I  "  cried  Bart ;  "  you  don't 
think  now  that  there's  anything  in  it  —  do  you?" 


AT   TIIK   CELLAR. 


133 


ish- 


3aid 


Bruco  Hiiid  nothing. 

Thoy  all  liurricd  along  tho  path,  peering  into  the 
woods  as  tliL/  wont  on,  and  listening  for  a  renewal 
of  the  sound. 

But  there  was  none. 

At  length  they  reached  the  gully,  and,  crossing 
it,  they  ascended  the  steep  slope  on  the  other  side. 
This  brovght  tliem  to  the  old  French  orchard,  and 
to  the  very  cellar  which  had  been  the  scene  of  their 
memorable  midnight  operations.  Looking  down 
into  the  cellar,  they  could  see  the  traces  of  their 
work  very  plainly.  They  had  filled  in  tho  hole  as 
well  as  thoy  could,  but  the  ground  bore  visible 
marks  of  having  been  turned  up. 

"  If  any  of  the  fellows  have  been  up  here,"  said 
Bart,  "  they  must  have  noticed  this." 

"  I  don't  think  that  follows,"  said  Phil.  "  They 
wouldn't  notice  it,  in  my  opinion." 

"  0,  don't  you  believe  that.  The  marks  of  dig- 
ging there  are  enough  to  make  any  fellow  notice 
them.'* 

"  Well,  what  if  they  do  ?  "  said  Bruce.  "  They'll 
never  think  that  we  had  anything  to  do  with  it. 
So  we  needn't  bother  our  heads  about  that." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Arthur,  "  none  of  them  have 
been  up  here  since  they  got  back.  Bogud  and 
Billymack  have  been  studying ;  Pat  has  been  oc- 
cupied on  the  hill ;  and  tlie  others  have  taken  to 
the  dikes.  We're  the  only  fellows  that  have  been 
here  at  all." 


r 
i 


r  1 


i  I 


134 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I  J' 


'I, 


''  For  my  part,"  said  Bart,  "  I  should  like  to  try 
that  hole  again.  I  don't  believe  there's  anything 
there,  but  at  the  same  time  I  don't  like  to  leave  a 
thing  unfinished,  especially  where  it's  been  broken 
off  the  way  this  was.  And  what's  more,  I'm  bound 
to  have  another  turn  at  it." 

'•  And  so  am  T,"  said  Phil. 

"  And  I,"  said  Arthur. 

"  1 11  be  there,"  said  Tom. 

"  Well,  boys,  I'll  be  there,  too,"  said  Bruce,  "  and 
we'll  omit  Solomon  tlus  time,  and  Captain  Corbet. 
We  may  as  well  do  it  by  daylight." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Bart,  ''  it's  all  humbug  to  dig 
at  night.  It's  ten  times  as  much  trouble,  and  then 
we  lose  our  sleep.  We  can  come  up  early  some 
morning  and  do  it.  At  the  same  time,  I'm  glad  we 
had  that  night.    It's  something  to  look  back  upon." 

"  That's  all  very  well,"  said  Phil;  "  but  I'd  like 
to  know  why  we  can't  hear  that  noise  again.  If 
it  came  from  this  hole,  or  from  the  old  French 
orchard,  now's  the  time  for  it.  Here  we  are  all 
ready.     So  roar  away,  somebody  I  " 

They  all  sat  down  now  on  the  grass,  and  listened 
for  a  while  in  silence.  They  could  look  over  the 
gully  on  one  side,  and  part  of  the  play-ground  on 
the  othe:\  On  three  sides  the  woods  encircled 
theTi.  Runniag  along  the  play-ground  on  one  side, 
where  the  woods  ended  wps  a  pasture  field  belong- 
ing to  Dr.  Porter.  This  pasture  field  could  not  be 
seen  from  the  place  where  they  were. 


A  SECOND   TIME. 


135 


ti 


I 


They  sat  here  for  some  time,  waiting  for  the 
sound  to  arise  again ;  and  as  they  sat  here,  Solomon 
emerged  from  the  woods,  climbed  the  slope,  and 
advanced  towards  them.  He  had  replaced  all  the 
dishes  and  all  the  provisions  in  the  basket,  and  was 
now  carrying  it  back. 

"  Dar,"  he  said,  as  he  put  it  down.  "  It  beats 
me.  Don't  see  de  use,  no  how,  fur  an  ole  darky  to 
go  an  broil  his  ole  brack  head  off  cookin  and  roastin 
all  sorts  ob  tings  if  dey  won't  be  eaten.  An  tings, 
too,  what  got  captured  by  de  Gasperojums  I  An 
what  we  skewered  safe  back  out  ob  dere  plunderin 
bans  I  Besides,  —  blubbed  bruddren,  if  you  don't 
eat  my  tings  I  feel  kind  o'  slighted  —  I  feel  it  a 
pusnul  insult.     Dat's  so." 

"  0,  well,  Solomon,  you  know  why  we  cleared 
out.  So  you've  brought  the  basket.  Well,  why 
can't  we  go  to  work  here  ?  Come,  boys,  let's  rise 
superior  to  circumstances,  and  finish  our  lunch." 

Bart's  proposal  was  greeted  with  a  shout  of  joy, 
and  once  more  Solomon,  grinning  with  pride  and 
delight,  spread  out  before  them  his  dishes  and 
eatables. 

They  had  just  begun ;  they  had  just  lifted  to 
their  still  hungry  and  unsatisfied  mouths  a  morsel 
or  two,  selected  from  among  the  dainties  spread 
out  by  Solomon ;  they  had  just  become  familiar 
once  more  with  the  delicious  flavor  of  some  of  his 
pet  dishes,  —  when  suddenly,  without  warning,  and 
altogether  unexpectedly,  there  burst   forth  again 


.^, 


136 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


i!! 


in 


that  roar  for  which  they  had  been  waiting  so  long. 
Harsh,  dissonant,  ferocious,  resonant  in  its  bellow- 
ing intonations,  it  burst  upon  their  ears,  now  much 
nearer  than  when  they  had  heard  it  at  the  camp, 
and  seeming  very  nearly  as  loud  as  it  had  been  on 
that  eventful  night.  The  sound  also  seemed  to 
come  from  Dr.  Porter's  pasture  field.  One  moment 
they  listened  —  that  moment  assured  them  of  the 
true  direction.  The  next  moment  they  flung  down 
their  plates,  and  knives,  and  forks ;  and  away  they 
went,  like  madmen,  over  the  field  towards  the 
pasture. 

Solomon  slowly  rose  to  his  feet  and  looked  after 
them,  with  his  head  bent  a  little  forward,  and  his 
hands  clasped  before  him. 

"  Well,  well,  well  I  "  he  ejaculated,  while  an  ex- 
pression of  unutterable  disgust  came  over  his  dark 
face.  "  Well,  well,  well  1  ob  all  de  contrairy  chil'en 
dat  I  ebber  did  see  I  Nebber  in  de  gracious  sakes 
does  dey  know  when  dare  well  off.  Heah's  de 
second  time  dey  pitch  dere  dinnas  away.  An  what 
dat  dinna  cost  me  —  ob  trouble  and  hard  work  I 
But,  0,  dear,  down  it  goes  —  0,  yes — jes  so  — 
flung  it  all  away  —  an  leab  dis  ole  nigga  to  pick  all 
it  up  agen.  Pity  de  Gasperojums  didn't  keep  de 
basket.  Dey'd  'preciate  de  dinna,  any  how  —  dat's 
so.  'Tain't  de  trouble,"  he  grumbled  on,  as  he 
picked  up  the  things  again,  and  put  them  in  the 
basket,  — ''  'tain't  dat  —  no,  sir.  It's  de  want  ob 
'precidtion.    CoUud  folks  likes  to  be  'preciated.    So 


THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED. 


137 


does  white  folks.  Dar's  de  doctor.  Me  an  him 
likes  to  be  'preciated,  —  but  dis  sort  ob  ting's  not 
'greeble.  De  day'U  come  when  dey'U  like  to  hab 
one  ob  ole  Solomon's  dinnas." 

So  he  went  on,  picking  up  the  things,  growling 
and  grumbling  to  himself  all  the  time,  until  at 
length  he  had  filled  the  basket  again,  and  went  off 
in  the  direction  where  the  boys  had  gone,  to  see 
what  had  become  of  them,  and  with  a  vague  idea 
that  the  "  dinna  "  would  be  resumed  somewhere 
farther  on. 

He  found  the  boys  over  in  the  pasture  field, 
looking  a  little  mystified. 

The  noises  had  ceased.  A  few  cows  were  quiet- 
ly grazing ;  and  among  them  was  an  animal  which 
was  very  familiar  by  name,  but  which  none  of 
them  had  ever  before  seen  in  the  flesh.  It  was  a 
simple,  domestic  animal,  in  some  countries  the  most 
common  of  all ;  out  to  these  boys  it  was  a  novelty. 
How  it  had  got  here  was  also  a  wonder ;  for  they 
had  no  idea  that  it  was  here,  and  in  their  surprise 
they  forget  about  the  noises. 

And  what  kind  of  an  animal  might  this  hp-^a 
l<;3n? 

A  quiet,  a  domestic,  agreeable  animal ;  in  fact, 
only  a  little  donkey. 

"  Solomon,"  said  Bart,  as  he  came  up,  "  who 
owns  the  donkey?" 

"  De  doctor,"  said  Solomon. 

"  Why,  how  in  the  world  did  he  happen  to  get 


one  : 


?" 


1; 


138 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


w 


I: 


"  He  bought  him." 

"  Yes,  but  what  did  he  want  of  it  ?  " 

"  0,  for  de  chil'en  to  play  with." 

"  That's  queer.     I  didn't  know  there  was  one." 

"  0,  you  see  de  doctor  got  him  de  time  you  was 
off  on  de  scursium.  Ole  scissa  grinda  come  long, 
an  de  doctor  bought  de  donkey.  Ole  scissa  grinda 
beat  de  donkey  so,  dat  de  doctor  got  him,  an  means 
to  keep  him  for  de  chil'en.     Dat's  all." 

"Poor  old  Neddy,"  said  Bart.  "He's  pretty 
lean.  But  he's  all  right  now.  This  will  be  a 
Paradise  for  him.  But  I  say,  boys  —  I  wonder  how 
he  rides.  I've  never  been  on  a  donkey's  back  in 
my  life.     Have  you  ?  " 

"  And  I  never  saw  one  before,"  said  Bruce.  "  I 
can't  say  I  admire  him  much." 

"  Well,  neither  did  I,  for  that  matter,"  said  Bart ; 
"  and  for  that  very  reason  I  want  to  have  a  ride  on 
him." 

Saying  this,  Bart  went  up  to  the  donkey.  The 
patient  animal  did  not  move,  but  calmly  went  on 
eating  a  delicious  thistle  that  was  under  his  nose. 
Bart  got  on  his  back.  The  donkey  ate  on,  ap- 
parently unconscious  of  the  weight.  Bart  caught 
hold  of  his  long  ears,  and  tried  to  pull  up  his 
head. 

But  the  donkey  ate  on  1 

Then  Bart  slapped  his  flanks  with  his  hands. 

But  the  donkey  ate  on  I 

Then  Bart  kicked  him  vigorously  with  his  heels. 


■  V 


HEE  HAWl 


139 


But  the  donkey  ate  on  I 

Then  he  whistled,  and  shouted,  and  pulled  his 
ears,  and  kicked  at  him,  and  mixed  all  sorts  of  en- 
couraging words  with  acts  of  the  most  violent 
kind. 

But  the  donkey  ate  on  ! 

That  donkey  seemed  to  be  about  the  most  phleg- 
matic animal  that  they  had  ever  met  with.  Bart 
was  in  despair.  He  looked  over  the  field  to  see  if 
there  was  a  stick  lying  about  anywhere.  He  asked 
the  boys  if  they  could  see  one.  He  now  sat  still, 
for  a  short  time,  on  the  donkey's  back,  waiting  till 
he  should  find  a  stick. 

While  he  was  seated  thus  the  donkey  slowly 
lifted  his  head. 

He  had  finished  that  thistle,  and  felt  refreshed. 

Slowly  he  elevated  his  head ;  slowly  he  threw 
back  his  ears ;  slowly  also  he  elevated  his  tail ; 
until  at  last  his  nose  was  directed  towards  a  point 
about  twelve  degrees  above  the  northern  horizon, 
and  his  tail  to  another  point  about  eleven  degrees 
above  the  southern. 

Then  he  spread  all  his  legs  apart. 

Then  he  opened  his  mouth. 

Then : — 

Hee  haw !    Hee  Haw  1 !  Bee  Haw  lit 

Haw  haw  I    Hawwwww !    Heee  I 

Hee  haw  I    Heee !    Haaaaw  I 

Hee-haw  I    Hee-haw !    Haw ! 

Hee!    Haw  I    Hee!    Haw! 


I 


1  SI, 


f 


I 

I 


140     THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR]&  SCHOOL. 

Hee!    Haw  I    Heel    Haw! 

H-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E  1 
H-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-W  I 

Bart  sprang  from  his  back. 
The    other    boys    started    and    looked  at  one 
another  in  utter  amazement. 
One  mystery  was  at  last  revealed  1 


't 


!        I'! 


AN  IMMENSE  BELIEF. 


141 


X. 


Irrepressible  Outburst  of  Feeling  from  the  Grand 
Panjandrum.  —  He  enlarges  upon  the  Dignity  of 
his  Office.  —  Spades  again.  —  Digging  once  more. 

—  At  the  old  Place,  my  Boy.  —  Resumption  of  an 
unfinished    Work.  —  Uncovering  the  Money-hole. 

—  The  Iron  Plate.  —  The  Cover  of  the  "  Iron 
Chest."  —  Tremendous,  but  restrained  Excitement. 


UCH,  then,  was  the  explanation  of  the  mystery 
of  the  discordant,  the  hideous  roar.  To  those 
who  have  heard  the  bray  of  a  donkey  it  will 
be  intelligible  how  such  a  noise,  sounding  suddenly 
in  the  still  midnight,  to  inexperienced  ears  may 
have  been  full  of  terror ;  while  to  those  who  have 
^ot  heard  it,  a  simple  assertion  of  the  above  fact 
will,  it  is  hoped,  be  all  that  is  necessary.  It  was 
the  donkey's  bray  which,  according  to  the  fable, 
terrified  the  animals  of  the  forest,  after  he  had  put 
on  the  lion's  skin.  Now,  this  donkey  was  clothed 
in  something  more  dreadful  than  a  lion's  skin : 
he  was  clothed  in  the  darkness  and  the  gloom 
of  night,  and  his  roar  might  well  terrify  those  who 
heard  it  under  such  circumstances,  without  know- 
ing whence  it  came. 


II 


i;  \ 


r  • 


:  I 


\ 


I 


I 


r 


142 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PP6  SCHOOL. 


After  the  first  surprise  they  all  burst  into  a  roar 
of  laughter.  It  was  an  immense  relief  to  them  all ; 
but  their  merriment  was  a  little  intermingled  with 
feelings  of  shame,  as  the  dark  and  dreadful  mys- 
tery thus  resolved  itself  into  the  ridiculous  form  of 
a  poor  little  donkey. 

As  for  Solomon,  the  effect  produced  on  him  was 
greater  than  on  the  others.  As  the  first  peal  of 
the  bray  struck  his  ears,  he  started,  his  jaw  dropped, 
his  eyes  rolled  up.  Then,  as  the  whole  truth  came 
to  him,  he  dashed  his  hat  to  the  ground,  threw  his 
head  back,  and  burst  into  a  perfect  thunder-peal 
of  laughter.  There  he  stood,  while  the  donkey 
brayed,  swinging  his  aged  frame  and  his  grizzled 
head  backward  and  forward,  tossing  his  armS;  and 
at  last  holding  his  aching  sides. 

And  it  was,  — 

"  0,  dis  sight  I  De  jackass  !  0,  de  gracious 
sakes  !  Shades  an  powers  ob  darkness  !  Sich  a 
succumstance  1  An'  dis  nigga  a  gwine  mad  wid 
feah  about  dat !  An  all  de  blubbed  breddern  ob 
de  Double  bubble :  de  mos'  wossfle,  de  patrick,  de 
venebubble  wodden,  an  all  de  ress,  a  flyin  on  de 
heels  ob  de  Granjer  pander  drum  !  wid  a  small 
jackass  a  chasin  all  dem  high  an'  mighty  'ficials  ! 
Tinkin  him  de  vengin  sperrit  ob  a  ole  Cajian 
slashin  an  swingin  a  pot  ob  gold  ober  our  bressed 
heads  !  0,  dis  erf  alive  !  Nebber  did  dis  nigga 
spec  to  fin  out  sich  a  succumstance  !  An  de 
stonishing  way  we  did  put  I     Gracious  1  how  my 


SOLOMON. 


143 


ole  heels  did  kick  up !  Reglar  ravin  stracted  wid 
terror  we  was ;  mind,  I  tell  you  !  An  dar  come  a 
juvenile  jackass  out  ob  de  wood  to  devour  us  up  1 
Say,  blubbed  breddern,  wliar's  dat  ar  minral  rod  ? 
Spose  you  get  dat  ar  stick  for  a  ridin  whip ;  won- 
der ef  'twouldn't  make  dat  ar  jackass  gee  up.  Tell 
you  what  now,  Mas'r  Bart,  you  jest  get  on  dat  ar 
animal's  back  wid  Mas'r  Bruce,  an'  sing  one  or 
two  ob  dera  dar  cantations,  an  de  rest  ob  you  get 
some  magic  candles  an  set  fire  to  de  top  knot  on 
de  end  ob  dat  ar  tail.  Tell  you  what,  dat'll  make 
him  gee  up — will  so  !  Yah  !  yah  I  yah !  yah  I  yah ! 
Ye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-p  ! " 

"  Solomon,  my  son,"  said  Bart,  as  the  old  fellow;, 
after  giving  a  wild  yell,  was  getting  ready  for 
another  outburst. 

"  Yes,  mos  wossfle,"  said  Solomon,  with  a  grin. 

"  Would  it  be  too  much  to  ask  you  to  be  kind 
enough  to  allow  us  to  finish  our  rustic  repast? 
As  it  was  interrupted  by  the  noise  of  this  quadru- 
ped, we  think  that  it  would  be  very  desirable  to 
resume  it,  unless  you  prefer  remaining  here  for 
the  rest  of  the  day  imitating  the  animal  before  us." 

"  All  right,  mos  wossible,"  said  old  Solomon,  catch- 
ing up  his  basket.  "  Couldn't  help  it.  Had  to  let 
out  strong.  Bust  if  I  hadn't  did  so.  Fust  man 
dat  mentions  de  name  ob  a  donkey  to  me,  dis  ole 
nigga'U  bust.     Dat's  so  1 " 

Saying  this,  Solomon  kicked  up  one  leg,  then 
slapped  one  hand  down  hard  on  his  knee,  and  stood 


144 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


> 

I, 


for  a  moment  with  his  head  bent  down,  while  his 
whole  frame  shook  with  internal  laughter.  At 
length  he  raised  his  head,  and  presented  to  the 
view  of  the  boys  a  face  as  grave,  as  demure,  and 
as  solemn  as  the  visage  of  a  judge  who  is  about  to 
pronounce  a  sentence,  only  there  was  an  irrepres- 
sible twinkle  in  each  of  his  small  black  beads  of 
eyes  which  took  a  little  from  the  mask  of  grav- 
ity with  which  his  face  was  covered. 

Then  he  took  up  the  basket,  and  walked  back 
towards  the  old  French  orchard.  The  boys  passed 
iiim,  reaching  the  cellar  first.  Then  they  all  sat 
down  again,  and  Solomon,  for  the  third  time,  spread 
the  table  before  them. 

"  Dis  heah,"  said  he,  "  chiPen,  am  de  third  and 
de  lass  time.  Ef  any  ob  you  runs  away,  he'll  lose 
his  bressed  dinna,  now  an  forebbermore.  Amen. 
So  you  go  ahead,  an  cat,  fass  as  you  can.  De 
visions  ain't  gwine  to  spile  your  'gestions." 

The  boys  were  hungry,  and  ate  in  silence.  Solo- 
mon stood  apart  unobserved,  with  a  broad  grin  on 
his  face,  occasionally  muttering  to  himself,  and 
shaking  all  over  with  laughter.  After  each  of 
these  silent  explosions,  he  would  suddenly  recover 
his  gravity,  mutter  to  himself  some  solemn  rebuke, 
and  look  awfully  grave  for  about  half  a  minute,  till 
a  new  explosion  came. 

That  discovery  had  been  too  much  for  h^m.  He 
had  seen  the  donkey  when  it  came,  but  he  had 
never  heard  it  bray.    The  terror  over  him  had  been 


THE  DINNER. 


145 


tremendous.  Every  night  since  then  had  been  a 
night  of  fear,  and  it  was  tlio  ',  iolcnt  revulsion  of 
feeling  from  his  former  panic  which  brought  on 
this  joyousness.  It  took  him  all  the  rest  of  the 
term  to  get  over  his  tendency  to  burst  forth  on  all 
occasions  into  fits  of  laughter. 

At  length  the  repast  was  over,  and  Solomon  at 
last  had  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that  his  eiforts 
had  been  fully  "  'preciated."  The  boys  felt  like 
giants  refreshed,  and  Solomon  looked  with  great 
complacency  upon  the  bones  of  the  fowls  and  the 
empty  dishes. 

"  Dat's  about  de  ticket,"  he  said,  as  he  piled  the 
dishes  into  the  basket.  "  Didn't  want  to  carry  back 
such  a  hobby  load  to  de  'Cad'my.  Been  tuggin  at 
it  all  day.     Got  to  hurry  back  now." 

"  What,  Solomon  I  you're  not  going?  "  said  Bart. 

"Got  to —must." 

"  Nonsense  I  We  can't  spare  you  yet.  We  want 
to  talk  to  you." 

"  Can't  spar  de  time  now,  —  mos  'portant  busi- 
ness. De  doctor  alius  specks  me  punct'ly.  Got  to 
get  him  his  dinna.  Dis  is  all  very  well  for  play ; 
but  business  is  business,  an  dat's  what  me  'n'  de 
doctor's  got  to  tend  to.  We've  got  de  'portant 
business  ob  life  —  de  dinna  'partment." 

"0,  he'll  get  his  dinner  all  right,"  said  Ar- 
thur. 

"  What  dat  ?    He  —  de  doctor  —  widout  me  ! " 

Solomon  rolled  up  his  eyes  till  only  the  whites 
10 


}  ! 


146 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND    VUk   SCHOOL. 


r 


wore  viniblo,  and  stood  lost  in  wonder  at  the  pro- 
poHtorouH  idea. 

"  Sich  chil'on  as  you,"  said  he,  loftily,  "  don't 
oiid'stan  do  sor'ous  business  oh  life.  Wait  till  you 
got  to  bo  sixty,  an  hah  cooked  as  many  dinnas  as 
me  ;  den  you  may  talk." 

"  That's  hard  fur  us,"  said  Tom,  "  if  we  have  to 
become  cooks  and  get  to  be  sixty." 

'•Course  it  is  —  an  1  mean  it  to  hit  hard.  A 
dinna's  a  ciinna,  an  no  mistake.  Me  'n'  de  doctor 
knows  dat.  Why,  whar'd  de  'Cad'my  be,  ef  I  wasn't 
to  give  de  doctor  a  rail  fust-rate  dinna  ebery  day? 
Me  'n'  de  doctor  keep  de  'Cad'my  goin.  lie's  de 
mas'r,  an  I'm  de  one  dat  keeps  him  a  goin,  an  so 
we  bofe  ob  us  keep  de  'Cad'my  goin." 

"  Solomon,"  said  Arthur,  "  you  ought  to  be  one 
of  the  teachers." 

"  Teachas  !"  said  Solomon;  "ain't  I  somefin  more  ? 
What's  a  teacha?  I'm  a  pro-fessa.  I'm  de  'fessa 
ob  de  cool  an  airy  'partment." 

"  Culinary,"  said  Bart. 

"  No,"  said  Solomon  ;  "  cool  an  airy.  Dat's  what 
de  doctor  said.  Ses  he,  '  Solomon,  you  hab  a  'por- 
tant  'sition,  —  you  preside  ober  de  cool  an  airy 
'partment.'  *  What's  dat  ar  ? '  ses  I.  '  0,'  ses  he, 
*  it's  only  de  Injin'  fur  cookin.'  An  I  ups  an  toles 
him  ef  he'd  ony  stay  down  on  some  broilin,  hot 
day  in  Auguss  in  de  kitchen,  he'd  'fess  dat  de  In- 
jin langidge  didn't  spress  de  idee,  ef  it  called  sich 
a  oven  of  a  place  '  cool  an  airy.'  Dat's  what  I  tole 
him,  —  an'  now,  blubbed  breddern,  farewell  I " 


DIOOINO    AOAIN. 


147 


h 

e 


Saying  tliis,  Solomon  took  his  basket,  and  retiree^ 
from  tlio  Hceno. 

"  Tlioro'H  a  great  lot  of  these  cellars  about,"  said 
Arthur  at  last,  after  some  silence,  during  which 
they  had  been  sprawling  on  the  grass  beside  the 
cellar.  "  There's  a  great  lot  of  them.  I  wonder 
how  many  there  are." 

"  0,  two  or  three  hundred,  at  least,"  said  Bruce ; 
"  perhaps  more." 

"  Well,  for  my  part,"  said  Bart,  "  T  believe  that 
there's  money  buried  in  some  of  them  ;  and  though 
our  adventure  was  awfully  ridiculous,  yet  that 
doesn't  alter  the  sober  fact,  and  I  think  the  general 
belief  is  right." 

"  I  go  in  for  digging  again,"  said  Phil.  ''  I  don't 
believe  in  finding  money,  but  we  may  find  some- 
thing." 

"  Bones,  for  instance,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Yes,  bones,  if  you  like;  and  then  we'd  give  them 
to  the  museum.  Anything  at  all  would  be  accept- 
able. It  would  take  the  edge  oft'  our  disappoint- 
ment of  the  other  night." 

"  There's  a  great  deal  in  that,"  said  Bruce. 

"  I  don't  like  giving  it  up  altogether,"  said  Bart. 
<»  We've  begun  it  —  let's  finish  it." 

"  And  there's  the  hole,"  said  Tom,  "  inviting  us 
to  come  along." 

"  Besides,"  said  Bruce,  "  don't  you  remember  we 
struck  something  hard?  and  I  know  it  wasn't  a 
stone." 


?!»''' 


148 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


m 


"  No,"  said  Arthur  ;  "  that's  a  fact,  —  all  our 
shovels  touched  it.  Wo  all  heard  the  dull,  ringing 
sound  it  gave.  It  was  metal.  Let's  go  to  work,  I 
say." 

"  When  ?  "  said  Bart. 

"  To-morrow  morning,"  said  Phil,  "  early  —  " 

"No  —  I  say  now"  said  Arthur. 

"  So  say  I." 

"  And  I." 

"All  right,"  said  Phil;  "I  say  so,  too.  But 
what'll  we  do  for  shovels  ?  " 

"  Do  ?  Why,  we  can  go  and  get  some,  I  sup- 
pose," said  Bruce. 

"  But  won't  the  fellows  see  us  ?  " 

"What  if  they  do?" 

"  Why,  they'll  wonder  what  we're  up  to." 

"What  then?" 

"  They'll  follow  us,  and  see." 

"  Very  well.  We're  not  going  to  work  in  secret 
this  time.  We're  working  now  in  broad  day.  We 
haven't  any  mineral  rod,  nor  any  magic  ceremonies. 
We're  merely  a  plain,  hard-working  crowd  ;  not  of 
money-diggers,  but  of  archaeologists.  We're  not 
digging  for  pots  of  gold,  but  for  curiosities  and 
relics  of  the  Acadian  French.  That's  our  position 
now,  my  boy;  and  a  very  much  more  dignified 
position  it  is  than  the  one  we  occupied  when  we 
were  making  fools  of  ourselves  the  other  night." 

So  spoke  Bruce,  who  felt  more  keenly  than  the 
others  the  shame  of  that  panic,  for  the  reason  that 


TO   THE   CELLAR. 


149 


he  had  been  more  deeply  touched.  Since  then  he 
had,  over  and  over  again,  vindicated  his  courage 
most  nobly,  on  occasions,  too,  when  the  exercise  of 
that  courage  could  only  be  accomplished  by  a 
supreme  effort  of  his  strong  spirit ;  yet,  in  spite  of 
this,  he  felt  galled  at  the  recollection  of  that  night, 
and  could  not  allude  to  it  without  bitterness. 

"  Well,"  said  Phil,  "  if  Jiggins,  and  Bogud,  and 
the  other  lot  are  very  inquisitive,  I'll  invite  them 
up,  and  we  can  get  them  to  do  the  digging." 

"  That's  a  very  sensible  way  of  viewing  it," 
said  Bart.  "  Yes,  that's  just  what  we'll  do.  For 
my  part,  I'd  rather  have  them  come  than  not,  for, 
if  they  were  to  dig,  our  curiosity  would  be  satisfied 
all  the  same,  while  our  various  muscles  would  not 
have  to  submit  to  such  very  violent  exertion  as  is 
called  forth  by  the  unpleasant  process  of  digging 
with  a  spade  in  such  abominably  hard  ground." 

"  Well,  Bart,"  sa'''^  Bruce,  "  as  soon  as  you've 
taken  breath  after  mat  long-winded  sentence,  we'll 
start." 

Up  jumped  Bart  at  this,  and  the  others  followed 
his  example. 

They  went  down  to  the  Academy  and  obtained 
spades  and  a  pickaxe  without  any  diflSculty, 
Shouldering  these  they  paraded  about  the  yard,  in 
the  hope  of  attracting  attention.  But  to  their  great 
disappointment  they  didn't  attract  any  attention 
whatever.  The  boys  were  all  away,  some  in  front, 
some  out  for  a  walk.     So  they  came  to  the  con- 


150 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I*  ',. 


elusion  that  they  would  have  to  do  their  own 
digging. 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  Bart,  as  they  walked  back 
up  the  hill,  "  one  comfort  is,  that  we  dug  up  the 
place  before,  and  this  time  the  ground  will  be 
softer." 

"  I've  got  the  old  pickaxe,"  said  Bruce,  "  all 
ready  in  case  of  need." 

"  Whether  we  find  anything  or  not,  it  will  satisfy 
our  minds."  i 

"  Yes,  and  then,  you  know,  we  can  leave  the  hole 
open,  and  explain  to  the  others  why  we  dug  it. 
We  can  induce  them  also  to  do  a  little  more  dig- 
ging, perhaps." 

"  But  if  we  find  anything  there'll  be  a  stiK 
stronger  temptation  to  dig." 

"  0,  if  we  find  anything,  all  the  cellars  in  the 
place  will  be  turned  inside  out." 

"  David  Digg  will  have  a  chance  to  prove  him- 
self deserving  of  his  name." 

"  What  a  joke  it  would  be  if  Pat  were  to  see  us  I 
He'd  be  wild  with  curiosity,  and  follow  us  so  as 
to  see." 

"  0,  there's  no  danger.  Nobody'U  come  —  that's 
just  because  we  want  them,"  said  Phil. 

Chatting  in  this  way  they  marched  up  the  hill, 
back  again  to  the  old  French  orchard,  which  they 
reached  without  having  attracted  the  smallest  at- 
tention from  anybody,  and  at  length  they  all  stood 
once  more  with  their  spades  by  the  cellar.     Very 


bart's  doleful  ditty. 


151 


different  was  this  occasion  from  the  last,  and  they 
aU  felt  It  so.  The  last  had  been  one  of  pure  fun 
and  nonsense,  disturbed,  however,  by  the  tremors 
of  some  of  their  number  ,•  this  time,  on  the  con- 
trary,  was  an  occasion  in  which  business  seemed 
to  predominate. 

They  paused  for  a  h'ttle  while  on  the  edge  of 
the  cellar,  before  committing  themselves  to  their 
work. 

Upon  this  Bart  began  to  whine  out  through  his 
nose  a  doleful  ditty,  to  the  tune  of  Auld  Lang 
Syne.  ^ 

"Whene'er  I  take  my  walks  abroad 
How  many  holes  I  see ! 
But  how  they  came  upon  the  ground 
Completely  puzzles  me. 

"  Here  once  the  peaceful  Frenchman  dwelt, 
And  passed  his  happy  duys 
In  draining  bogs,  devouring  frogs, 
And  cultivating  maize. 

"  These  holes,  no  doubt,  were  dag  by  him; 
We  see  them  all  around ; 
And  all  Grand  Pre  to  me  appears 
A  very  holy  ground." 

"That's  what  Captain  Corbet  would  call  a 
'  hime,'  "  said  Phil,  with  a  laugh.  "  It's  too  solemn, 
Bart,  for  this  occasion.  We  want  something  busi- 
ness-like now." 

"  Then  here  goes,"  said  Bart,  who  had  a  happy 
talent  for  improvising.     And  he   droned  out  the 


ff 


w^ 


I: 


152 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


h 


1* 


following,  in  a  whining  voice,  but  to  a  livelier 
measure :  — 

"  Over  Minas's  Bay 

Came  the  French  to  Grand  Pr6, 
And  they  all  were  remarkable  fellers ; 

They  lived  upon  frogs, 

And  they  wore  wooden  clogs, 
And  preserved  their  potatoes  in  cellars. " 

"  There,"  yaid  Arthur,  "  that's  enough,  Bart.  If 
we  don't  stop  you  now,  you'll  go  on  till  sundown. 
If  we're  going  to  dig,  we'd  better  begin,  for  it's 
getting  late,  and  it'll  be  dark  before  we  know  it." 

"  All  right,  my  son,"  said  Bart.  "  Here  goes  — 
come  along." 

And  seizing  his  spade,  he  rushed  down  into  the 
cellar ;  and  plunging  it  deep  into  the  earth,  he 
began  to  throw  it  out. 

"  Hurrah,  Bart  1 "  cried  Bruce.  "  Dig  away,  old 
man  !  You'll  turn  up  the  whole  cellar,  at  that  rate, 
before  we  can  get  down.  Leave  something  for  us, 
though,  just  for  the  name  of  the  thing,  you  know." 

"  Come  along,"  cried  Bart,  throwing  out  his 
seventh  shovelful. 

By  this  time  they  were  all  at  the  hole,  and 
plunged  in  their  spades.  Out  flew  the  earth.  In 
their  zealous  work  the  shovels  clashed  against  one 
another  furiously,  and  rather  impeded  their  prog- 
ress ;  but  in  spite  of  this,  the  earth  was  thrown  out 
with  a  rapidity  that  contrasted  in  a  very  striking 
manmr  with  the  slowness  of  their  progress  on  that 
former  occasion.     Then,  the  earth  was  rigid,  and 


WHAT  IS  IT? 


153 


V 


In 

)ne 

>g- 

)Ut 

|ng 
lat 

Ind 


hard  bound  with  the  turf  that  had  been  accumulat- 
ing for  generations,  and  Bruce's  pickaxe  had  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  the  slow  entrance  of  their  spades. 
But  now,  their  spades  went  in  easily,  and  the  pick- 
axe as  yet  was  not  needed. 

But  the  work  of  digging  was  an  unusual  one, 
and  their  violent  efforts  exhausted  them  before 
they  had  worked  for  a  long  time.  They  paused 
for  a  moment  and  rested. 

"  We're  almost  at  the  bottom,"  said  Bart. 

"  That  depends  on  what  you  mean  by  the  bot. 
tom,"  said  Arthur. 

"  Well,  I  mean,  we're  almost  as  far  down  as  we 
were  before." 

"  But  I  wonder  whether  we  shall  strike  that 
metallic  substance  that  we  struck  before,"  said 
Arthur. 

"  I'll  soon  see,"  said  Bruce. 

Saying  this,  he  took  the  pickaxe,  and  giving  it  a 
swing,  brought  it  down  into  the  centre  of  the  hole. 

It  penetrated  a  short  distance,  and  then  stopped 
short,  with  a  low,  dull  sound,  as  though  it  had 
struck  something  hard. 

That  sound  roused  the  boys  once  more,  and 
stimulated  them  to  fresh  exertions.  They  again 
plunged  their  spades  into  the  earth.  All  their  first 
energy  was  now  restored.  They  forgot  their 
fatigue.  Something  was  there,  they  knew.  What 
it  was  they  could  not  tell ;  but  they  knew  that  it 
must  be  the  same  thing  that  had  excited  them  once 


r-  i' 


K". 


w 
< 


154 


THE   BOYS   OP  GRAND   PR6  SCHOOL. 


before,  and  from  which  they  had  been  driven  by 
the  sudden  bray  of  that  absurd  donkey.  Now,  all 
that  nonsense  had  been  explained ;  and  they  knew 
that  this  last  vestige  of  the  jnystery  of  that  mid- 
night hour  lay  beneath  them,  and  would  soon  be 
exhumed  and  brought  to  the  light  of  day. 

Lower  and  lower  they  wont. 

And  now  their  shovels  struck  it  at  every  stroke. 
It  seemed  metallic.  The  dull  ringing  sound  given 
forth  could  not  come  from  wood,  or  brick,  or  stone. 
It  must  be  metal  I 

But  what? 

Was  it  a  pot,  or  an  iron  chest? 

Pooh  I 

At  any  rate  they  were  glad  that  the  other  fel- 
lows were  not  present. 

Such  thoughts  and  feelings  passed  through  their 
minds  as  they  came  down  nearer  to  the  object  of 
their  search. 


EXCITEMENT. 


155 


XI. 

Farther  and  farther  down,  and  sudden  Hevelqtion 
0/  the  Truth.  -  Rising  superior  to  Circumstances. 
—  The  '^Fot  of  Money ;^  and  other  buried  Treas- 
ures.  -  They  take  all  these  exhumed  Treasures 
to  Dr.  Porter.  -  Singular  Reception  of  the  ex- 
cited Visitors. 

3pN  deep  excitement  they  continued  to  dig  in 
Jg    silence,  and  thus  came  gradually  nearer  to 
the  object  of  their  search.    At  last  the  loose 
earth  was  all  thrown  out,  and  only  the  old  hard- 
bound  soil  was  left;  while  there,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  cavity,  lay  exposed  a  portion  of  an  iron  surface 
dented  now  and  scratched  by  the  blows  which  it 
had  received.     It  was  very  rusty ;  the  rust,  in  fact 
covered  it  m  great  scales,  showing  that  it  must 
have  been  buried  there  for  many  years.     As  yet 
only  a  few  square  inches  of  the  surface  were  visi- 
ble,  and  it  was  impossible  to  tell  as  yet  what  it 
was.     But  they  all  felt  sure  that  it  was  an  iron 
chest. 

Bruce  now  took  his  pickaxe,  and  began  loosen- 
ing  the  hard-bound  earth  that  surrounded  the  hole. 


;   [H 


1  \\ 


w 


ii 


156 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


'  v 


"  It's  lucky  it's  so  near  the  surface,"  said  Bart. 

"  I  suppose  he  hadn't  time  to  bury  it  any  deep- 
er," said  Phil. 

"  No,"  said  Arthur ;  "  he  must  have  been  hurry- 
ing off,  you  know." 

"  Perhaps  we  won't  be  able  to  lift  it,"  said  Tom. 
"  What'll  we  do  then  ?  " 

"  We'll  have  to  get  Solomon  and  Captain  Corbet," 
said  Phil. 

"  For  that  matter,"  said  Bart,  "  we  can  rig  up 
blocks  and  pulleys,  and  hoist  it  up.  We'll  have  to 
dig  all  around  it,  though." 

"  We  may  not  have  it  done  to-night." 

"  If  it's  very  heavy,  we  won't." 

"  But  we  must." 

"  0,  yes,  it  wouldn't  do  to  leave  it  till  morning." 

''  Can't  we  get  lights  ?  " 

"  If  we  do  get  lights,  we'd  better  postpone  it 
till  midnight." 

'•  But  we  ought  to  do  as  much  as  we  can  by  day- 
light." 

"  0,  of  course,  while  the  daylight  lasts,  we'll  keep 
at  it." 

Bruce  now  laid  down  his  pickaxe,  and  they  went 
to  work  with  their  shovels,  and  at  last  the  loose 
earth  was  thrown  out  once  more.  The}'^  had  now 
uncovered  what  seemed  like  one  side  of  the  top  of 
the  box,  and  its  edge  was  plainly  apparent.  The 
rest  of  it  was  still  covered  by  the  superincumbent 
soil. 


f 


THE  DISCOVERY. 


157 


I      f 


"  That's  the  edge  of  the  box,"  said  Bart.  "  We 
didn't  hit  it  fair  in  the  centre." 

"  It's  a  good-sized  box,  too." 

"  And  it'll  be  awfully  heavy." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  is  much  larger." 

"  We'd  better  uncover  the  rest  of  it,  so  as  to  see 
the  size  of  it.  There  don't  seem  to  be  any  kind  of 
rivets  here,  or  anything  of  that  sort." 

"  0,  you  can't  tell.     It's  so  covered  with  rust." 

"  Countersunk  rivets  on  an  iron  plate  would  be 
quite  concealed  if  they  were  all  covered  with 
scales  of  rust." 

"  Come,  I'll  dig  more  on  this  side,"  said  Bruce, 
taking  up  his  pickaxe  again.  A  few  blows  directed 
against  the  other  side  served  to  loosen  the  earth 
there,  and  the  eager  boys  soon  threw  it  out,  and 
laid  bare  more  of  the  surface.  Bruce  worked  away 
with  his  pickaxe  at  the  same  time.  There  was  now 
room  for  only  two  to  work.  The  others  looked  on 
with  beating  hearts. 

"  Hallo  1 "  cried  Bruce,  suddenly. 

"What?  "asked  Bart. 

li  Why,  the  top's  loose  1  '^ 

"  Loose  I  Hurrah  1  We  can  lift  it  off  then,  and 
get  into  the  box." 

Bruce  said  nothing,  but  stooped  down.  Bart, 
who  had  been  digging,  stooped  down,  too.  The 
other  boys  crow^ded  around. 

Bruce  dug  his  fingers  into  the  earth  by  the  edge 
of  the  iron,  and  rattled  it  with  his  hands.  Then 
he  tried  to  lift  it  up. 


w 


158 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^:  SCHOOL. 


\*  ■■ 


It  moved  I 

As  it  moved,  he  worked  hia  fingers  underneath 
it,  and  raised  it  up  on  its  edge. 

He  said  not  one  word,  but  lifted  it  up,  and  held 
it  before  the  eyes  of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C." 

And  as  they  looked  at  it  they  were  struck  dumb, 
and  stood  paralyzed  with  amazement  and  disgust. 

For  there,  in  Bruee's  hands,  held  up  to  the  light 
of  day,  the  iron  lid  of  the  iron  money-chest,  that 
coffer  lid  that  concealed  so  much  treasure,  buried 
long  ago  by  the  fugitive  Frenchman,  to  be  exhumed 
by  their  fortunate  hands,  —  that  iron  lid  which  had 
been  the  source  of  so  much  excitement  and  hope, 
had  resolved  itself  into  nothing  better  than  a  rusty 
old  ploughsliare  I 

Again  holding  it  till  he  was  tired,  Bruce  handed 
it  solemnly  to  Bart. 

"  Here,  Bart,"  said  he,  "  I'll  give  all  my  share  to 


J) 


you 

"  And  I  present  all  that  you  give  me  and  all  my 
own  to  Tom,"  said  Bart,  taking  it  and  passing  it  on 
to  Tom. 

Tom  took  it  and  handed  it  to  Arthur. 

"  I  make  it  over  to  you,  Arthur,"  said  he. 

"  And  I  make  it  over  to  Phil,"  said  Arthur. 

Phil  took  it. 

"  Very  well,"  said  he.  "  I  hereby  give  and  be- 
queath all  my  right,  title,  and  interest,  in  and  to 
the  said  ploughshare,  to  the  Academy  Museum,  its 
curators  and  officials,  to  have  and  to  hold  forever- 


A   LITTLE  PHILOSOPHY. 


159 


more,  amen,  and  anything  to  the  contrary  thereof 
in  any  wise  notwithstanding." 

By  this  time  tha  boys  had  recovered  from  their 
astonishment,  disappointment,  and  disgust. 

"  That  comes  of  being  so  sanguine,"  said  Bart. 
"  Boys,  why  would  you  allow  yourselves  to  grow 
so  excited  ?  " 

"  Fancy  a  fugitive  Acadian  solemnly  burying  his 
plough." 

"  It  was  all  he  had,  poor  wretch,  I  dare  say." 

"  But  why  bury  it  in  his  cellar  ?  Why  not  in  his 
potato  field  ?  " 

"  For  my  part,  I  don't  believe  in  the  Acadian 
French." 

"  I  think  they're  humbugs." 

"  And  this  is  all  that  remains  of  the  wealth  of 
^  Benedict  Bellefontaine,  the  wealthiest  farmer  in 
Grand  Pr^  '  !  " 

"  Perhaps  he  intended  it  as  a  quiet  hint  to 
show  those  who  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  rich 
the  true  source  of  wealth.  The  plough  is  that, 
you  know ;  so  the  copy-books  all  say,  at  any 
rate." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  we've  got  even  this.  It  makes 
archaeologists  of  us.  We'll  make  it  a  present  to 
the  Museum,  The  doctor'U  be  delighted.  Perhaps 
he'll  give  us  an  extra  holiday.  Every  scale  of  rust 
will  be  precious  in  his  eyes  ;  and  he'll  paste  a  nice 
label  on  it,  with  all  our  names  immortalized,  and 
the  date  of  the  discovery.     It  will  be  the  chief 


I  ■ 
if 


' .'. 


r 


160 


THE  nOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


t 


treasure  of  the  Museum.  Where'll  David  Diggs's 
crystal  be,  or  Billymack's  moss  agate,  or  Jiggins's 
petrifactions,  beside  our  plough  ?  " 

"  I  wonder  if  we  couldn't  find  something  else, 
so  as  to  make  a  handsome  thing  out  of  it.  An  old 
rusty  nail  would  be  better  than  nothing." 

"  That's  a  capital  idea,"  cried  Bruce,  seizing  his 
pickaxe  again.  "  Never  say  die,  boys.  We'll  go 
back  covered  with  glory,  after  all,  and  our  names 
will  be  handed  down  to  future  generations  of  boys 
ye',  to  come  to  the  old  place." 

Saying  this,  Bruce  began  working  away  once 
more  with  his  pickaxe  ;  and  the  others,  excited  by 
this  new  idea,  and  the  prospect  of  gaining  some 
kind  of  a  rov/ard  for  all  their  toil,  took  their  shovels 
again,  and  waited  till  Bi  uce  should  loosen  the  earth 
sufficiently  for  them  to  dig  it. 

At  length  this  was  done,  and  tho)  began  to 
shovel  it  out.  They  had  not  worked  five  minute«» 
before  Tom  cried,  — 

"  Hallo  I  here's  somethin'*,  at  any  rate." 

Saying  this,  he  stooped  down  and  picked  some- 
thing out  of  the  ground,  which  he  showed  the  boys. 
They  examined  it  eagerly,  and  saw  that  it  was  a 
colter,  probably  belonging  to  the  plough,  from 
which  the  ploughshare  had  been  taken.  Scarcely 
had  he  handed  this  to  the  boys  than  he  saw  lying 
at  his  feet  an  iron  bolt.  This  encouraged  them  all 
the  more.  The  colter  and  the  b(^lt  were  placed 
beside  the  ploughshare,  and  they  worked  on  v'gor- 


MORE    DISCOVERIES. 


161 


I 


OTi.sly,  each  one  hoping  to  make  some  discovery  of 
hia  own. 

In  a  little  while  Bruce  struck  something,  which, 
on  examination,  proved  to  be  the  end  of  a  chain. 
After  diligent  labor  he  succeeded  in  detaching  it 
all  from  the  ground,  and  laid  it  down  upon  the 
grass.     It  was  an  ox  chain,  about  six  feet  long. 

This,  of  course,  only  increased  their  excitement ; 
so  they  all  went  to  work  again. 

At  last  Phil,  with  all  his  strength,  dragged  some- 
thing out  of  the  ground,  and  with  a  shout  put  it 
down  beside  the  other  things.  It  was  a  small  iron 
pot,  which  had  been  used  for  cooking.  It  was  now 
full  of  earth,  and  Phil,  seizing  the  colter,  began  to 
pick  it  out. 

"  This  is  the  famous  pot,"  cried  Phil,  with  a  laugh  ; 
"  but  the  money  inside  has  all  turned  to  dust  because 
we  dug  it  in  the  daytime." 

"  Money  ?  "  cried  Arthur.  "  Don't  laugh  about 
money.     What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

And  he  held  out  on  his  open  palm  three  very 
dirty  coins.  What  they  were  they  could  not  tell, 
whether  silver,  or  iron,  or  what.  They  looked  like 
very  dirty  round  stones.  The  boys  took  them  and 
examined  them  carefully.  Bart  drew  his  knife,  and 
scraped  off  the  rust  and  canker. 

"  More  of  old  Benedict  Bellefontaine,"  said  he,  at 
last.  "  We  can't  make  anything  out  of  him.  See 
here ! " 

And  holding  out  the  coin,  he  showed  where  he 
11 


i'  >'' 


162 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR£  SCHOOL. 


\t  v 


H 


had  scraped  it.    There  they  could  read,  faintly 
marked,  letters,  which  formed  the  following :  — 

UN 
SOU. 

They  were  somewhat  disappointed  at  this,  and 
scraped  the  other  coins,  but  found  them  all  copper. 

"Pooh!  "said  Arthur;  "what's  the  odds?  To 
an  archaeologist  isn't  a  copper  coin  as  precious  as 
a  gold  one  ?  Of  course  it  is.  Hallo,  Phil !  Haven't 
you  got  that  pot  cleaned  out  yet?  I've  got  an 
idea.  I'll  put  these  sous  in  the  pot,  and  then  we 
can  say  that  we've  found  a  pot  of  money.  We'll  be 
generous,  too  —  we'll  give  it  all  to  the  Museum." 

Phil's  pot  by  this  time  was  empty,  and  Arthur 
laughingly  threw  the  sous  into  it.  After  this  they 
began  their  search  again,  and  enlarged  the  hole  in 
hopes  of  finding  more  around  the  sides.  And  in 
this  they  were  successful,  for  they  found,  near,  a 
dozen  more  copper  coins,  which  made  a  very 
respectable  appearance  in  the  pot,  and  in  addition 
to  these,  about  a  dozen  bits  of  iron  —  nails,  spikes, 
and  bolts. 

"  Hallo,  boys  !  look  here  I  "  cried  Bart,  suddenly- 
He  held  in  his  hand  an  old,  discolored  bone.  "  Talk- 
ing about  relics,"  said  he,  "  here's  a  relic  of  the 
original  owner.  The  question  is  though.  Is  it  a 
human  bone  ?  " 

"  Pooh ! "  said  Arthur ;  "  it's  an  ox  bone,  or  a  horse." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Bart.  "  I'm  determined 
that  it  shall  be  Benedict  Bellefontaine." 


THE   INVENTORY. 


163 


"It's  a  horse's  bone,"  said  Phil. 

"  No,"  said  Bart ;  "  I'll  keep  it  carefully,  and  let 
the  doctor  have  it.  It  will  be  the  most  precious 
article  in  the  Museum." 

It  was  now  growing  too  dark  to  work  any  longer. 
The  sun  had  set,  and  they  were  satisfied  with  the 
result  of  their  labors.  So  they  gathered  together 
their  treasures,  and  set  out  for  the  Academy. 

These  treasures  seemed  to  them  to  be  by  no 
means  despicable. 


They  were. 


1  ploughshare, 


1  colter, 

4  bolts, 

1  chain, 

1  iron  pot, 
3  nails, 

2  bits  of  iron, 
2  spikes, 

13  copper  coins, 
1  bone. 

And  any  one  who  has  ever  been  connected  with 
a  small  museum,  or  has  ever  been  acquainted  with 
those  who  are  connected  with  a  valuable  institu- 
tion like  that,  will  easily  understand  the  value  of 
articles  like  these,  exhumed  direct  from  the  cellar 
of  an  old  Acadian  house. 

The  boys  felt  no  doubt  whatever  as  to  the  value 
of  their  treasure.  In  fact,  they  grew  so  excited 
over  it  that  they  began  at  last  to  think  what  they 


.  1 1 


,1 


i^HB 


164 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


*y. 


I 


I  f 


n 


*>. 


had  found  far  better  than  what  they  hoped  to 
find ;  and  so  it  resulted  that  those  who  had  gone 
out  to  find  gold  came  back  rejoicing  in  rusty  iron. 

On  reaching  the  Academy  they  went  at  once  to 
Dr.  Porter's  house.  They  found  the  doctor  at 
home,  and  were  ushered  up  at  once  to  his  study. 

The  boys  said  nothing,  but  gravely,  and  in  im- 
pressive silence,  laid  down  their  treasures  on  the 
doctor's  study  table.  It  was  covered  with  books 
and  papers  ;  but  they  were  too  oblivious  of  every 
thing,  and  too  much  absorbed  in  the  contemplation 
of  their  own  things,  to  think  of  that. 

So  Bruce  entered  first,  and  placed  on  the  doc- 
tor's table,  right  over  some  handsome  volumes  of 
Euripides,  just  received  from  London,  the  rusty, 
dirty  old  ploughshare. 

"  Hallo  !  "  cried  the  doctor.     "  Why  I  what  I  —  " 

But  before  he  could  finish  his  sentence,  Tom 
came  up,  and  laid  down  a  dozen  old  spikes  and 
nails.  Botli  of  them  turned  and  looked  proudly  at 
the  doctor. 

"Look  here,  boys,"  cried  the  doctor,  standing 


up 


"what  —  " 


Ho  was  interrupted  by  Phil,  who  came  forward 
between  him  and  the  first  boys,  carrying  an  iron 
pot,  which  he  triumphantly  placed  on  a  handsomely 
bound  Hebrew  Lexicon. 

"  What  in  the  world  —  "  began  the  doctor  again, 
but  was  again  interrupted  by  Arthur,  who  solemn- 
ly placed  the  colter  on  a  new  edition  of  Longinus, 


! 


f 


i 


IS 


■/I 


'*: 


I-      I 


j  ! 


DR.   PORTER   ASTONISHED. 


165 


and  then  put  the  chain  on  some  late  English 
Quarterly  Reviews.  Just  as  the  doctor  was  about 
to  burst  forth,  Bart  came  immediately  before  him, 
and,  with  a  face  radiant  with  delight,  laid  down, 
right  on  the  doctor's  blotting  pad,  that  horrible 
discolored,  and  disintegrated  old  bone. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  that  the  doctor  would 
burst  forth  in  a  fury.  To  him  this  behavior  was  the 
sublimity  of  unparalleled  impudence  ;  the  act  was 
so  absolutely  unequalled  in  its  quiet  audacity,  that 
it  actually  made  him  dumb  with  amazement.  The 
ploughshare,  the  colter,  the  iron  pot,  the  rasty 
spikes  and  bolts,  the  old  chain,  —  all  these  were  so 
many  stages  up  which  his  astonishment  went  to  a 
climax  which  was  fully  attained  when  Bart  put 
down  the  abominable  old  bone. 

This  was  too  much. 

Then  the  doctor  burst  forth. 

But  not  in  fierce  and  furious  indignation,  and 
vehement  and  violent  denunciation.  It  struck  him 
in  another  way.  It  was  his  sense  of  the  ridiculous 
that  was  affected.  He  forgot  the  ruin  done  to  his 
precious  editions  of  the  classics,  and  his  mind 
could  only  grasp  the  innocent,  smiling  faces  of 
these  five  young  rascals  who  had  come  into  the 
awful  seclusion  of  his  own  study  to  pile  up  his 
inviolable  study  table  with  old  iron  and  old  bones. 

And  so  it  was  that  the  doctor  burst  forth  into  an 
uncontrollable  fit  of  laughter, — not  a  common  laugh, 
but   one   which   was    sent  forth   from    the   very 


m 


i  .•'•;■ 


166 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PR6  SCHOOL. 


depths  of  his  nature,  —  all  absorbing,  overwhelm- 
ing. Peal  after  peal,  irrepressible.  It  was  con- 
tagioiis,  too.  The  boys  caught  it.  They  tried  to 
restrain  themselves  at  first.  They  tittered.  They 
began  to  see  themselves  the  absurdity  of  their 
act.  The  thought  overcame  them,  and  they  all 
burst  forth,  too.  The  whole  company  thus  went 
off  into  fearful  explosions  —  cataclysms,  in  fact,  of 
laughter. 

It  roused  the  house. 

The  family  came  running  up  to  see  the  cause. 

The  doctor  could  not  utter  a  word.  Tears  were 
running  from  his  eyes ;  he  could  only  point  in 
silence  to  the  old  iron  and  old  bone.  The  contagion 
seized  upon  the  family  also,  and  they  all  went  off 
into  the  general  laughter. 

At  length  the  boys  took  the  things  off  the  table, 
and  put  them  on  the  floor.  Gradually  the  doctor 
recovered  his  self-control,  and  asked  the  boys  what 
it  all  meant.  They  told  him  all  about  it.  He 
listened  to  them  with  a  serious  face,  which,  how- 
ever, was  occasionally  disturbed  by  a  tendency  to 
another  outburst,  as  again  and  again  the  thought 
of  the  past  scene  forced  itself  back.  Finally,  he 
managed  to  get  the  whole  story,  and  by  that  time 
his  laughter  passed,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  new 
sensation. 

It  was  one  of  intense  delight  at  such  discoverios. 
Now  they  appeared  before  him,  not  as  old  iron  and 
old  bone,  but  in  their  true  character.     He  was  an 


VALUE   OP   THE   RELICS. 


167 


enthusiastic  antiquarian,  and  all  connected  with  the 
Acadian  French  excited  his  passionate  interest. 
He  looked  afiectionately  at  the  ploughshare.  He 
handled  the  colter  tenderly.  He  examined  one 
by  one,  with  minute  inspection,  the  opikes  and  the 
bolt.  He  scanned  narrowly  and  admiringly  the 
iron  pot.  He  passed  every  link  of  the  rusty  chain 
through  his  fingers.  He  lingered  long  and  loving- 
ly over  the  coins,  closely  examining  every  one  of 
them.  He  looked  at  the  bone  with  an  intense 
curiosity,  mingled  with  deep  sympathy  for  the  un- 
fortunate race  of  which  it  was  the  reminder. 

He  threw  himself  into  his  admiration  over  these 
with  the  same  abandonment  of  feeling  that  had 
characterized  his  laughing  fit.  It  was  a  proud  and 
a  delightful  moment  for  the  boys  when  they  found 
that  their  discoveries  were  so  highly  prized.  The 
doctor  declared  that  there  was  nothing  in  the 
Museum  to  be  compared  with  them,  and  finally 
sent  for  Messrs.  Simmons  and  Long.  These  gentle- 
men soon  appeared,  and  exhibited  an  interest  in 
these  Acadian  relics  which  was  fully  equal  to  that 
of  the  doctor. 

But  the  wonder  was,  to  all  of  them,  how  in  the 
world  the  boys  had  happened  to  think  of  digging 
in  that  particular  place.  They  questioned  them 
closely,  though  good  humoredly,  about  this ;  and 
Bart,  after  vain  efibrts  at  eluding  the  questions, 
finally  told  the  whole  storj . 

Bart  told  that  story  in  such  a  whimsical  way,  and 


1,1 


,l;v.vi 


168 


THE  BOTS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


with  such  an  eye  to  effective  representation,  that 
in  five  minutes  he  had  all  his  audience  in  another 
roar  of  laughter,  worse  than  the  first.  Ho  mimicked 
Captain  Corbet  with  his  mineral  rod.  He  told 
about  the  lights  and  the  magic  ceremonies.  He 
took  off  Solomon  capitally,  and  finally  spoke  of  the 
donkey's  bray,  and  its  result,  concealing  nothing  of 
their  own  terror.  Bart  went  on,  interrupted  all 
the  time  by  the  laughter  of  his  hearers,  and  at  last 
succeeded  in  bringing  his  story  down  to  the 
moment  in  which  he  was  speaking. 


THE  DOCTOK'S  PKOPOSAL. 


169 


XII. 

T/te  Doctor's  Proposal  —  Blomidon.  ~  The  Expedi- 
tion hy  Land.  —  Tlie  Drive  by  Morning  Twilight. 
—  The  North  Mountain.  —  Breakfasting  amid 
the  Splendors  of  Nature.  —  The  illimitable  Pros- 
pect.  --  TJie  Doctor  tells  the  Story  of  tJie  French 
Acadians. 


tc 


$ 


0  YS,"  said  the  doctor,  after  Bart  had  erded 
his  narrative,  "  it  isn't  often  that  such  non- 
sense  as  yours  was  turns  out  so  well  in 
the  end.     I'd  rather  have  this  old  iron  pot,  with 
these  old  black  sous,  than  even  that  pot  of  gold 
which  dazzled  your  imaginations  so  when  you  were 
digging.     If  all  mineral  rods  were  to  be  so  very 
lucky  as  Captain  Corbet's  was,  we  might  go  and 
test  every  old  French  cellar  in  the  country.    I  can 
assure  you  this  is  a  gift  of  no  common  value.    The 
rust  marks  and  the  mud  which  you  have  made  on 
my  books  and  papers  are   rather  welcome   than 
otherwise.     Bart's  bone  ought  to  receive  a  very 
careful  examination.     I  think  we  ought  to  dig  up 
the  whole  cellar,  and  we  may  find  more  bones  there. 


m 


170 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRfi  SCHOOL. 


"  But  I've  got  a  proposal  to  make,  which,  per- 
haps, you  will  think  a  reward  for  your  discovery. 
To-morrow  is  Saturday.  How  would  you  like  to 
go  off  with  me  on  an  excursion  for  the  day, — you 
and  the  other  boys,  —  the  same  party,  in  fact,  tliat 
went  with  Mr.  Long  ?  " 

"An  excursion!"  cried  the  boys,  with  radiant 
faces. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I've  been  intending 
to  make  one  for  some  time.  I  was  disappointed  in 
not  going  witli  you  in  the  scliooner.  These  relics 
have  revived  an  idea  which  I  had  last  year,  but 
was  not  able  to  put  in  practice.  It  is  this :  I  have 
good  reason  to  believe  that  somewhere  on  the 
top  of  Blomidon  there  once  stood  a  'rench  fort, 
and  that  the  ruins  are  very  distinctly  visible  yet. 
I  have  a  very  clear  idea  in  my  mind  of  the  exact 
locality  and  think  I  can  find  it  without  any  trouble. 
I  am  very  anxious  to  go  there,  and  perhaps  we 
can  find  more  French  relics  to  add  to  our  little 
stock  in  the  Museum. 

"  Now,  my  plan  is  this  :  I  will  take  my  carriages 
and  horses,  and  the  whole  party  can  be  accommo- 
dated. We  will  take  provisions  for  the  day.  We 
must  start  as  early  as  four  o'clock,  so  as  to  be  at 
the  mountain  early.  We  can  breakfast  over  there. 
After  we  have  found  the  French  fort,  I  wish  to 
have  a  few  hours  for  a  quiet  examination  of  the 
cliffs.  I  know  some  good  places  for  minerals,  and 
I  think  I  can  obtain  a  basket  full  without  much 


NEW    PRErABATlONS. 


171 


'!H 


troul)lo.  I  will  see  about  the  baakots,  shovels,  and 
hummers.  We  shall  want  a  spado  or  two,  and  I 
tliiuk,  under  the  circumstances,  we  can  spend  a 
very  pleasant  day.  Now,  what  do  you  say  to 
that  ?  " 

The  answer  of  the  delighted  boys  came  in  a 
perfect  chorus  of  incoherent  and  unintelligible 
words,  in  which,  however,  could  easily  be  per- 
ceived the  language  of  intense  excitement  and  of 
joyous  assent. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  doctor.  "  You  let  the 
other  boys  know,  and  remember  you  must  all  be 
ready  on  the  spot  by  four  o'clock  to-morrow  morn- 
ing—  not  a  minute  later." 

After  this  the  boys  retired  in  great  spirits  to 
let  the-  otiiers  know  the  good  fortune  that  awaited 
them  on  tlie  morrow. 

The  following  morning  came,  and  all  the  boys 
were  on  the  spot  before  the  appointed  time.  The 
doctor  had  three  double  wagons  ready,  drawn  by 
six  horses,  and  filled  with  provisions,  and  all  the 
implements  that  might,  by  any  possibility,  be  need- 
ed. It  was  quite  dark  as  yet,  but  they  started  in 
high  glee,  and  as  they  drove  along  it  became  lighter 
every  moment. 

They  all  felt  the  importance  of  the  occasion. 
No  frolicking  this  time.  No  dressing  up  like  scare- 
crows. No  running  ashore  on  mud  flats.  No  get- 
ting lost  in  fogs.  No  feeding  on  clams.  No  star- 
vation.    Everything  was  now  to  be  perfectly  regu- 


^" 


172 


THE   BOYS   OF   GUANU    Vllt   SCHOOL. 


hir,  perfectly  orthodox,  and  rather  dignified.  They 
were  going;,  in  the  twofold  capacity  of  archaeolo- 
gists and  gcuiogints,  to  search  after  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  and  historic  fortress,  and  then  to  find  the 
mate  of  that  amethyst  which  was  taken  from  here 
to  dchght  a  king  of  France. 

At  first,  as  tliey  drove  on  through  the  level 
country,  all  the  fields  and  woods  around  lay  wrapped 
in  sliadow ;  but  as  they  went  on  the  shadows 
lessened,  and  they  began  to  see  the  first  rays  of 
dawn.  Leaving  the  higher  country,  they  at  length 
descended  into  the  dike  land,  which  they  traversed, 
and  at  length  reached  the  bridge  that  crosses  Corn- 
wallis  River.  Tlien  they  went  off  over  the  wide 
vale  of  Cornwallis  towards  the  North  Mountain. 

On  and  on.  The  vale  of  Cornwallis  has  five  dif- 
ferent indentations,  up  which  the  sea  once  flowed  ; 
but  these  are  now  reclaimed,  and  here  the  green 
and  fertile  meadows  spread  out  where  once  was 
red  mud  or  salt  sea.  On  the  long  ridges  between 
these  diked  districts  are  the  houses  of  the  farm- 
ers, and  woods,  and  orchards,  and  groves,  and  gar- 
dens. On  every  side  are  the  evidences  of  plenty 
and  prosperity.  Here  and  there  small  villages 
appear,  the  centre  of  trade.  The  roads  are  numer- 
ous, running  every  way,  and  are  known  by  the 
name  of  streets.  Nowhere  can  a  country  be  found 
which  enjoys  a  greater  abundance  of  all  the  richest 
gifts  of  nature,  a  larger  measure  of  all  that  can 
charm  the  eye,  or  invigorate  the  body,  or  confer 


I     1 


THE   MORNING    HIDE. 


173 


wesilth  and  prosperity.  Nowlioro  in  tlio  world  rfin 
actual  workiuf^  liirniurH  be  found  whoso  tables  arc 
HO  loaded  with  varied  and  substantial  dishes.  Tho 
(loinwallis  fiirniera  have  not  yet  learned  to  use 
everything  that  they  have  for  purposes  of  trade. 
They  are  satislied  with  making  money  on  one  or 
two  leading  products,  but  reserve  their  turkeys, 
and  chickens,  and  cheese,  and  hams,  and  eggs,  and 
apples,  and  plums,  to  weigh  down  their  own  din- 
ner tables. 

On  they  went  through  streets,  as  they  were 
called,  —  which  in  some  places  were  so  closely  bor- 
dered with  houses  that  they  deserved  the  name,  — 
past  beautiful  villas  hidden  among  trees,  past  rich 
orchards,  past  long  hedgerows,  past  churches 
which  pointed  heavenward  their  tapering  spires  ; 
on  they  rode  through  busy  little  villages,  over  the 
broad  dike  lands,  whose  rich,  green  robe  extended 
far  away  on  either  side ;  along  the  dge  of  deep 
mud  gulches,  which  were  to  bo  filled  by  the  rising 
tide  ;  over  roads  where  thero  '"•as  not  a  stone  to  be 
seen,  but  only  that  sof*".,  red  8i»j*  which  makes  such 
rich  fields,  but  such  v  ;etclicd  paths  ;  and  still,  as 
they  went  on,  it  v,0P'=<;!intly  p.  w  brighter,  until  at 
last  the  red  sun  bouuJbd  *a>j  .ato  the  sky,  and  threw 
his  glow  over  all  the  scene. 

At  length  they  approached  the  North  Mountain. 
The  place  towards  which  they  went  was  six  or 
seven  miles  this  side  of  Cape  Blomidon,  and  the 
carriage  road  wound  up  it  on  its  way  to  settlements 


i! 


I    ,       •': 


174 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


on  the  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Up  tliis  road 
they  went,  and  soon  they  all  reached  the  top  of 
the  hill. 

They  drove  for  a  mile  along  the  ridge  of  the 
North  Mountain,  and  at  length  came  to  a  place 
where  the  roadside  was  bare  of  trees,  and  the 
hillside  sloped  very  abruptly  down  towards  the 
plain.  It  was  a  place  well  known  to  all  of  them. 
It  was  a  favorite  resort  for  the  whole  country  on 
occasions  of  picnics  or  driving  partitas.  Every- 
thing here  was  familiar  —  the  brook  where  they 
could  get  water,  the  big  stone  against  which  they 
could  build  their  fire.  Here  they  drew  up  their 
horses,  and  prepared  to  take  their  breakfast.  The 
fire  was  soon  burning;  the  kettle  was  filled  with 
water,  and  was  soon  boiling ;  the  tea  was  made,  and 
the  ample  repast  was  spread  out  upon  the  grass. 
Here  they  sat,  satisfying  their  hunger,  rendered 
keen  by  over  two  hours'  driving  in  the  fresh  morn- 
ing air,  chatting  merrily,  and  looking  forth  from 
their  lofty  seat  upon  one  of  the  most  glorious  views 
that  can  be  conceived. 

In  truth,  it  was  a  glorious  prospect.  Beneath 
them  lay  the  plains  of  Cornwallis,  which  all  stood 
revealed  to  their  elevated  position  with  that  pecu- 
liar effect  known  as  "  a  bird's  eye  view."  There 
the  valleys  spread  away  with  their  intervening 
ridges  ;  there  ran  the  long,  straight  streets  ;  there 
rose  the  villas  embowered  among  trees,  the  neat 
farm-houses,  and  the  tapering  spires  of  churches. 


THE  PROSPECT. 


175 


I 


The  vivid  green  of  the  dike  land  surrounded  all 
this,  streaked  here  and  there  by  the  long  lines  of 
weodland  that  rose  on  the  low  ridges,  dotted  by 
groves  and  orchards,  and  intersected  by  the  red- 
colored  soil  of  the  roads.  Far  away  on  the  oppo- 
site side  lay  the  slopes  of  Grand  Fr6,  with  the 
gleaming  white  of  the  houses  dotting  the  green 
fields,  and  there  were  the  outlines  of  familiar  ob- 
jects, conspicuous  among  which  was  the  Academy, 
which  rose  immediately  opposite,  though  many 
miles  away.  Between  them  the  sea  rolled  its 
waters,  extending  far  away  towards  the  left,  where 
the  shores  were  so  low  that  in  one  place  the  sea 
and  sky  seemed  to  blend  together;  but  in  other 
places  the  shores  stood  out  in  bolder  reliefs,  and 
there  arose  precipitous  cliffs,  and  abrupt  bluffs, 
and  lofty  hills.  These  were  on  the  extreme  left, 
where  the  eye  could  embrace  a  prospect  that  ex- 
tended for  fifty  miles,  while  on  the  right  the  eye 
could  wander  for  many  a  mile,  far  away  along  that 
valley  which  lies  between  the  North  Mountain  and 
the  South,  and  out  of  which  there  now  came  the 
Cornwallis  River,  with  many  a  winding  to  receive 
the  flood  tide  of  the  Basin  of  Minas. 

It  was  upon  this  scene  that  they  gazed  as  they 
took  their  breakfast;  and  while  the  emotions  of 
each  were  different,  all  felt  the  same  general  glow 
that  was  naturally  produced  by  tiio  exhilaration  of 
such  a  prospect  and  such  a  posiiion.  Blomidou 
could  not  1)0  seen,  for  that  was  hidden  behind  a 


ifi 


jM 


I- 


r 


176 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRt  SCHOOL. 


f '■ 


projection  on  the  coast-line  that  ran  down  towards 
the  cape,  and  thus  the  scene  was  deprived  of  that 
grand  figure  which  from  every  other  point  is  so 
attractive.  Yet  the  elevation  of  their  position 
here,  and  the  peculiar  way  in  which  the  plain  lay 
spread  out  at  their  feet,  and  the  vast  extent  of 
country  which  w^as  embraced  by  the  eye,  served, 
in  some  measure,  to  make  amends  for  the  absence 
of  the  majestic  cliff. 

And  there,  beneath  them,  the  waters  spread 
afar,  ryd  and  turbid  near  the  shore,  but  farther  out 
changing  to  deep  blue  ;  while  towards  the  left, 
where  Blomidon  lay  hid,  guarding  the  strait,  they 
could  see  a  mass  of  fog,  which  had  been  thrust 
in  from  the  outside  bay,  and  stood  there  a  gray 
opaque  wall,  towering  high  above  the  water. 
Even  as  they  gazed,  there  shot  out  from  that  gray 
mass  of  fog  a  little  schooner,  \vhich  had  thus 
leaped  in  a  moment  from  darkness  into  sunlight, 
and,  like  a  bird  escaping  suddenly  from  some 
gloomy  cage,  seemed  to  spread  her  wings  joy- 
ously, and  move  exultantly  through  the  fresh, 
clear  air. 

"  What  a  glorious  prospect !  "  exclaimed  Dr. 
Porter,  who  had  been  silently  enjoying  the  view 
for  a  long  time.  "  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  old 
Acadians  loved  this  country  of  theirs  so  passion- 
ately, and  made  sucli  desperate  struggles  to  get 
back  after  they  had  been  driven  out  ?  " 

"  Did  they  try  to  get  back,  sir  ?  "  asked  Bart. 


THE   ACADIANS. 


177 


"  I  should  think  they  did  ;  and  many  succeeded, 
though  they  could  not  live  again  in  Grand  Pr^. 
But  what  a  bitter  thing  it  was  to  be  torn,  as  they 
were  torn,  from  such  a  home  as  this,  and  scattered 
at  random  over  all  the  coast  of  North  America  !" 

"  Wasn't  the  government  sorry  for  it  after- 
wards ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  0,  no ;  it  was  one  of  the  cruelties  of  war. 
After  all,  it  was  not  as  bad  as  the  sack  of  a  city, 
or  even  the  bombardment  of  one.  All  these  things 
are  alike  abominable,  and  full  of  horror.  The 
government  considered  themselves  well  rid  of 
people  who  were  a  trouble  to  them.     That's  all." 

"  But  I  don't  see  why  they  couldn't  have  let 
them  alone." 

"  It's  a  sad  story,"  said  the  doctor,  shaking  his 
head.     ''  I'll  tell  you  about  it." 

At  this  the  boys  all  gathered  around  him.  Some 
of  them  knew  that  story  pretty  well ;  but  others 
did  not,  and  even  those  who  did  were  very  glad  of 
the  chance  of  hearing  it  again. 

"  You  all  know  about  the  discovery  of  America 
by  Columbus,"  began  the  doctor,  "  and  the  voy- 
ages of  Cabot  immediately  after.  The  French 
soon  rivalled  the  Enj^'lish,  and  Spanish,  and  Portu- 
guese. Cartier  and  Champlain  sailed  over  all  these 
seas,  and  by  all  these  coasts,  devoting  themselves 
chiefly  to  what  is  now  British  America.  It  is  cer- 
tainly a  strange  tliino;  that  the  part  of  America 
which  was  originally  British  should  now  have 
12 


at' 


178 


THE  BOYS  OB^  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


passed  away  from  British  rule,  and  the  only  British 
America  now  should  be  that  which  was  originally 
French. 

"  Many  years  passed  away,  and  no  colonies  were 
formed.  At  last,  at  nearly  the  same  time,  the 
French  and  English  both  began.  The  Frencli, 
however,  were  first.  They  came  over,  and  in  1606 
founded  Port  Royal  —  now  Annapolis,  you  know. 
A  year  or  two  after,  the  English  founded  James- 
town, and  the  French  Quebec.  So,  you  see,  our 
little  Annapolis  is  the  oldest  place  on  the  continent 
of  America  founded  by  Europeans,  with,  perhaps, 
the  exception  of  St.  Augustine,  in  Florida. 

"  This  beginning  showed  how  things  would  go. 
The  English  took  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  from 
Massachusetts  to  the  Carolinas,  while  the  French 
took  those  countries  that  are  now  British  prov- 
inces. At  first  but  little  progress  was  made  in 
this  country.  Its  history  consists  chiefly  of  the 
rivalry  jf  two  leading  French  families,  who  main- 
tained trading  stations,  and  struggled  for  the  pre- 
eminence out  here,  and  for  support  from  the 
French  government.  Still  the  settlements  grew, 
and  not  long  after  Port  Royal  was  founded,  the 
French  established  other  places  also,  and  among 
them  Grand  Fr6  settlement.  Thev  came  here, 
cleared  the  forest,  diked  the  marshes,  and  soon 
became  a  prosperous  and  a  happy  community. 

"  So  things  went  on.  Meanwhile,  the  French 
and  English  were  engaged  in  continual  wars.    Port 


THE   ACADIANS. 


n^ 


Royal  was  captured  some  half  a  dozen  times. 
But  at  length  one  of  these  wars  was  concluded  by 
the  peace  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  by  which  this  prov- 
ince was  ceded  to  the  English. 

"  At  the  time  of  the  cession  it  w-as  supposed 
that  all  the  French  population  would  retire.  The 
English  allowed  them  a  year  to  sell  their  property 
and  depart ;  with  the  permission  to  remain,  how- 
ever, if  they  would  take  the  oath  of  allegiance. 
But  none  were  willing  to  take  the  oath.  As  to 
going  away,  that  soon  proved  to  be  a  difficult 
matter.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  impossible  for 
them  to  sell  their  farms,  for  there  Vvere  none  to 
buy  them.  In  the  second  place,  it  was  impossible 
to  get  away,  for  there  were  no  ships  to  take  them. 
The  French  government  woul!  not  send  ships, 
for  they  hoped  in  the  course  of  time  to  get  back 
the  country,  and  preferred  that  this  French  popu- 
lation should  remain.  The  English,  on  the  other 
hand,  wouldn't  send  their  ships,  first,  because  they 
thought  it  was  the  business  of  the  French  govern- 
ment to  do  so  ;  and  secondly,  because  the  state  of 
affairs  out  here  scarcely  excited  any  attention 
whatever  in  the  home  government. 

"  Meanwhile,  the  English  held  the  country,  after 
a  fashion.  They  didn't  establish  any  towns,  or 
send  out  any  emigrants,  but  merely  sent  a  governor 
to  Annapolis,  as  they  now  called  Port  Eoyal,  with 
a  nominal  regiment  of  soldiers.  These  soldiers 
were  neglected  most  abominably.     Their  numbers 


m 


180 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOl.. 


dwindled  down  to  a  small  company  ;  thyy  were 
ragged,  and  without  sufficient  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion. The  fort  went  to  ruin.  One  governor  went 
to  England,  and  lived  there,  drawing  his  pay,  and 
letting  the  soldiers  and  the  fort  get  along  the  best 
way  they  could. 

"  At  length  one  of  the  governors  made  an 
effort  to  do  something.  The  French,  instead  of 
quitting  the  country,  had  increased  in  numbers  to 
an  alarming  extent.  So  an  attempt  was  made  to 
get  them  to  sign  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
King  of  England.  This  they  refused  to  do,  unless 
a  proviso  were  inserted  in  the  oath,  •  that  they 
should  not  be  called  upon  to  bear  arms.'  The 
governor,  after  some  demur,  acceded  to  this  re- 
quest, and  wrote  the  proviso  on  the  margin  of  the 
document,  which  was  then  signed.  After  this  the 
English  government  repudiated  this  as  utterly 
unreasonable,  and  other  governors  made  various 
efforts  to  get  the  French  to  sign  an  unconditional 
oath,  but  only  -witli  partial  success.  The  majority 
of  them  claimed  that  indulgence  which  had  been 
granted  by  the  proviso,  and  in  accordance  v\^ith 
tliis  they  determined  to  help  neither  party,  not 
even  their  own  countrymen.  They  assumed  the 
name  of  Neutrals,  by  which  they  were  known  to 
both  parties. 

"  The  English  could  do  nothing.  There  was 
only  a  handful  of  soldiers  at  Annapolis,  and  though 
they  were    afterwards  taken  better  care  of,  yet 


THE   ACADIANS. 


18\ 


the  soldiers  and  the  fort  formed  but  a  weak 
representation  of  the  power  of  Britain.  The 
French  were  increasing  in  numVers.  Here  in 
Grand  Prd  they  were  most  numerous  and  most 
prosperous.  They  were  peaceable,  and  happy, 
and  industrious,  and  contented.  As  a  general 
thing,  they  maintained  most  faithfully  their  posi- 
tion of  neutrality.  French  agents  came  among 
them  to  rouse  them  to  action,  but  met  with  no 
response.  French  missionary  priests,  acting  as 
agents  for  the  French  governors  of  Quebec  and 
Louisbourg,  tried  to  stir  up  tlieir  patriotic  ardor, 
but  without  much  success.  An  expedition  came 
from  Louisbourg  against  Annapolis,  but  the  Aca- 
dians  did  not  join  it.  Only  a  few  joined  the  in- 
vading army,  and  when  they  made  an  attack  on 
Annapolis,  the  little  English  garrison  was  able  to 
beat  them  off.  No  fact  can  speak  more  plainly 
than  this  in  favor  of  the  utter  peacefulness  of 
their  dispositions,  and  their  fixed  determination  to 
keep  out  of  all  difficulties.  That  neutrality  which 
they  professed  they  maintained  as  perfectly  as  it 
was  possible  for  any  community. 

"  So  things  went  on  until  the  year  1749,  when 
the  English  government  took  the  affairs  of  the 
long-neglected  Province  of  Nova  Scotia  into  their 
consideration,  and  determined  to  colonize  it  on  a 
large  scale.  So  they  sent  out  a  flee'  with  thou- 
sands of  emigrants,  and  built  the  town  of  Halifax. 
This  was  intended  to  be  a  counterpoise  to  Quebec, 


w 


182 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


and  also  an  assertion  of  their  power  in  the 
Province  of  Nova  Scotia.  Besides  this  place, 
which  they  made  the  capital,  instead  of  Annapolis, 
they  formed  other  settlements. 

"  But  they  soon  found  themselves  cramped.  The 
French,  having  beer,  there  first,  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  all  the  most  eligible  lands.  The  places  to 
which  emigrants  would  most  wish  to  go  were 
already  filled  up.  Annapolis,  and  Grand  Prd,  and 
other  places  were  occupied ;  and  the  English  who 
wished  to  settle  had  to  go  to  places  which  were  for 
inferior.  Besides  this,  the  English  wanted  every 
man  in  the  country  to  be  an  active  assistant,  —  not 
a  neutral.  All  these  things  combined  to  make  the 
question  of  the  Acadians  a  very  troublesome  one. 
The  very  faithfulness  with  which  they  had  main- 
tained their  professions  of  neutrality  made  it  all  the 
more  difficult;  and  for  some  years  the  English 
settlers  found  themselves  thus  shut  out  from  the 
best  part  of  the  province,  and  confined  to  tlose 
portions  which  could  never  be  developed  to  any 
extent. 

"  You  must  remember  that  it  was  not  the 
Province  of  Nova  Scotia,  but  all  the  British  colonies 
in  America,  that  participated  in  this  question.  All 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  the  provinces  watched 
with  eager  interest  the  progress  of  the  English 
settlement  here.  Hundreds  came  to  Halifax  from 
Massachusetts  and  New  York.  They  all  belonged 
to  that  great  English  party  which,  on  this  side  of 


THE   ACADIANS. 


183 


ll 


the  Atlantic,  was  carrying  on  a  never-ending  war 
with  the  French.  It  was  a  question  between  the 
French  and  English  races,  which  siiould  rule. 
The  English  were  far  superior  as  colonizers,  the 
French  as  organizers.  The  English  settlers  in- 
creased and  multiplied ;  the  French  kept  up  formida- 
ble forts  and  armies,  and  enlisted  vast  numbers  of 
Indians  on  their  side.  There  were  a  million  and  a 
half  of  English,  but  not  a  hundred  thousand  French ; 
yet  the  French  kept  armies  on  foot  which  the 
English  could  barely  equal.  Besides,  the  French 
had  a  grand  scheme  by  which  they  hoped  to  crush 
the  growth  of  the  English,  and  finally  subdue  them. 
They  held  all  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  They  had  settle- 
ments on  both  rivers,  and  their  great  scheme  was 
to  build  a  line  of  forts  from  the  Mississippi  to  the 
St.  Lawrence,  which  should  act  as  a  wall  to  hem  in 
the  English,  and  keep  them  within  that  narrow  line 
of  territory  which  lies  along  the  Atlantic  shore. 
All  this  alarmed  the  colonies.  They  were  ready 
to  fight  against  the  French  for  this  boundary  line, 
and  were  determined  from  the  very  outset  to  rec- 
ognize no  barrier  whatever  against  their  progress 
westward.  Nominal  peace  might  be  between 
France  and  England  at  homo,  but  out  here  there 
was  never  peace.  War  went  on  all  along  the  line 
of  forts,  and  the  French,  with  their  Indians,  strug- 
gled with  the  hardy  Euglisli  colonists.  Between 
all  the  English  colonies  there  was  one  universal 


i^ 


I  ' 


184 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfe  SCHOOL. 


sympathy;  and  while  Nova  Scotia  watched  the 
progress  of  her  more  southern  sisters  with  intense 
interest,  they,  on  their  part,  watched  the  progress 
of  affairs  in  Nova  Scotia  with  interest  no  less 
intense.  All  were  alike  struggling  with  one  com- 
mon enemy.  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Penn- 
sylvania, Virginia,  all  \,ere  watching  to  see  how 
Halifax  would  deal  with  the  Acadians,  or  with 
Louisbourg;  while  Nova  Scotia  was  waiting  to 
see  how  they  would  deal  with  the  Ohio  forts. 

*'  You  may  imagine,  then,  what  was  the  feeling 
here  when  the  news  came  of  the  expedition  of  that 
thick-headed  and  pragmatical  fool  General  Brad- 
dock  ;  of  his  disastrous  and  abominable  defeat, 
when  his  army  was  ruined,  and  his  own  life  thrown 
away,  by  a  miserably  inferior  number  of  French 
and  Indians.  A  panic  spread  everywhere,  and 
that  panic  which  ran  through  the  other  colonies 
was  strong  in  Nova  Scotia. 

"  Soon  after,  an  opportunity  arose  to  deal  with 
the  Acadians.  The  governor  was  a  strong-willed, 
determined,  and  energetic  man.  A  powerful  fleet 
and  army  had  assembled  at  Halifax.  It  was  re- 
solved to  deal  summarily  with  the  Acadians. 

"  But  how  ?  That  was  the  question.  It  would 
not  do  to  march  an  army  against  them  and  expel 
them  from  their  homes.  They  would  merely  fly  to 
the  woods,  and  when  the  p;rmy  had  left,  they 
would  come  back.  So  it  was  resolved  to  expel 
them  from  their  homes  altogether. 


THE   ACADIANS. 


185 


"But  how?  Again  the  question  arose.  If  they 
merely  expelled  them,  giving  tiieui  the  liberty  of 
flying  anywhere,  they  would  ill  go  to  Cape  Breton, 
to  swell  the  numbers  of  their  ioes.  If  they  convoyed 
them  away  to  any  particular  place,  they  might  be 
formidable  from  their  numbers,  and  lind  moans  of 
coming  back  in  a  body.  So  it  was  determined  to 
carry  them  off  from  Nova  Scotia,  and  scatter  them 
as  widely  as  possible  over  all  the  colonies  along  the 
Atlantic  coast. 

"  By  way  of  a  beginning,  they  resolved  to  give 
the  Acadians  one  last  chance  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance,  though  they  knew  that  the  offer  was 
useless.  So  they  sent  for  the  leading  men  of  the 
settlements,  and  brought  them  to  Halifax.  There 
they  were  told  that  they  must  take  the  oath,  or 
submit  to  punishment.  The  Acadians  refused,  and 
pleaded  their  rights  as  neutrals.  Their  plea  was 
rejected,  and  they  were  imprisoned. 

"  After  this  the  measures  which  were  taken  were 
swift  and  summary.  Before  the  Acadians  could 
know  what  had  happened,  British  troops  appeared 
at  each  of  the  settlements.  At  Grand  Pre  they 
summoned  all  the  inhabitants  to  a  place  of  meeting. 
The  Acadians  came  without  suspicion.  There  they 
were  all  arrested.  Vessels  were  all  ready  to 
receive  them,  and  they  were  put  on  board.  Hus- 
bands were  separated  from  their  wives,  fathers 
from  their  children,  never  to  meet  again.  They 
were  all  packed  on  board  of  the  vessels.     These 


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186 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


IF 

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vessels  were  nearly  all  small  schooners,  which  had 
been  chartered  by  the  government  for  this,  busi- 
ness from  some  Boston  merchants.  Last  year, 
when  I  was  at  Halifax,  I  saw  among  the  Nova 
Scotia  archives  the  accounts  of  these  merchants 
against  the  government  of  Nova  Scotia  for  the 
expenses  of  carrying  off  the  Acadians.  I  took  a 
copy  of  one  or  two,  which  I  will  show  you  some  day. 

"  The  Acadians  were  thus  in  a  moment  snatched 
from  their  pleasant  homes  in  this  beautiful  country, 
and  separated  from  one  another,  and  packed  in 
small  schooners,  and  carried  far  away,  —  some  to 
Massachusetts,  some  to  New  York,  some  to  Phila- 
delphia, some  to  Virginia,  and  some  to  the  Carolinas. 
What  the  Acadians  of  Grand  Pr^  suffered,  all  suf- 
fered. They  were  carried  away,  and  scattered  all 
over  the  Atlantic  coast.  A  few  found  their  way 
back.  But  most  of  them  lived  and  died  in  exile  ; 
and  there  were  friends  divided,  and  husbands  and 
wives  severed,  and  families  scattered,  never  to 
meet  again  on  earth,  but  to  wear  out  their  lives  in 
a  foreign  land,  with  the  loss  of  all  that  was  most 
dear.  But  what's  the  use  of  enlarging  on  this? 
If  you  want  to  know  more  about  it,  go  and  read 
Longfellow's  Evangeline." 

The  doctor  ceased.  The  boys  were  silent,  and 
in  that  silence  th3  thoughts  of  all  wandered  sadly 
over  that  past,  when  these  shores  and  these 
waters  witnessed  the  mournful  expulsion  of  the 
Acadians. 


■m 


▲  FBESH  START. 


187 


XIII. 

Plunging  into  the  Depths  of  the  primeval  Forest.  — 
Over  Hockj  Bush,  and  Brier. — A  toilsome  March. 
—  The  Barrens.  —  Where  are  toe  ?  —  General 
Bewilderment  of  the  Wanderers.  —  The  Doctor 
has  lost  his  Way.  —  Ihnerging  suddenly  at  the 
Edge  of  a  giant  Cliff  with  the  Boom  of  the  Surf 
beneath. 

}T  length  the  doctor  rose,  and  the  boys  ^M 
followed  him  to  the  carriages.  Getting  in, 
they  drove  a  short  distance ;  and  here  the 
doctor  informed  them  that  he  was  going  to  leave 
the  horses  and  carriages.  "We'll  t8.ke  to  the 
woods  now,"  said  he,  "  and  you  must  prepare  for 
a  g-'»od,  long,  steady  tramp.  We'Jl  want  a  few 
things,  though,  to  take  with  us.  Two  spades  will 
be  enough,  one  hammer,  and  an  empty  basket. 
You  may  divide  these  among  yourselves.  Each  of 
you  had  better  take  some  sandwiches  out  of  that 
basket,  and  anything  else  you  may  think  necessary 
to  keep  you  up  on  your  expedition." 

The  boys  went  off,  at  this,  to  lay  in  a  stock  of 
provisions.    As  they  expected  to  be  on  the  move 


i-'^^ 


K 


-\:- 


188 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


all  day,  each  one  took  enough  to  last  h'm.  The 
spades,  &c.,  they  divided  among  themfcialves,  with 
the  understanding  that,  when  those  who  first  car- 
ried them  grew  tired,  they  should  be  relieved  by 
the  others.  The  horses  and  wagons  were  left  in 
charge  of  the  people  of  the  house,  with  whom  the 
doctor  had  some  acquaintance. 

After  these  preliminaries  the  doctor  warned  the 
boys  that  he  intended  to  plunge  boldly  into  the 
woods.  Some  friends  of  his  had  formerly  gone 
over  the  woods  to  the  right,  which  extended 
towards  Cape  Blomidon,  but  had  found  nothing. 
He  had  made  up  his  mind  that  if  the  fort  were 
anywhere,  it  would  be  found  among  the  woods  on 
the  left,  and  here  was  the  country  which  he 
intended  to  explore. 

They  then  started,  the  doctor  taking  the  lead, 
and  soon  turned  into  the  woods.  They  entered  a 
rough  pathway,  which  had  been  formed  by  ox 
teams  in  winter  while  hauling  out  lumber  and  cord 
wood.     It  was  now  about  nine  o'clock. 

After  a  time  the  pathway  divided  into  several 
others,  one  of  which  the  doctor  chose,  and  went 
on,  but  soon  found  that  it  wound  away  in  a  direc- 
tion that  did  not  suit  him.  He  walked  on  a  little 
farther,  and  then,  coming  to  place  where  the  woods 
were  less  dense,  he  turned  aside,  and,  with  all  his 
followers  at  his  back,  plunged  into  the  primeval 
forest. 

At  first  the  walking  was  not  difficult,  the  trees 


I 


THE  TRAMP. 


189 


II 


standing  far  apart,  and  the  soil  beneath  being 
covered  with  moss  and  long  ferns ;  but  after  a  time 
the  woods  grew  denser,  and  it  was  only  with  con- 
siderable effort  that  they  were  able  to  move  along. 
Every  step  seemed  to  make  it  worse.  Long,  slender 
trees  shot  up,  not  large  enough  to  prevent  their 
progress,  but  sufficient  to  form  an  impediment ; 
and  working  their  way  among  these  proved  very 
difficult,  and  very  fatiguing.  What  was  worse,  the 
ground  began  to  grow  rougher  at  every  step. 
Soon  they  emerged  from  the  thick  underbrush,  and 
came  to  where  the  trees  were  larger,  and  farther 
apart  from  one  another.  But  here  the  ground  was 
spongy;  and  in  every  direction  lay  fallen  trunks 
of  trees,  some  prostrated  but  lately,  others  lying 
where  they  had  lain  for  years,  in  every  stage  of 
decay.  These  they  had  to  clamber  over,  or  crawl 
under;  and  so  it  was  that,  in  order  to  make  any 
progress,  they  were  compelled  to  use  their  hands 
as  well  as  their  feet.  The  soil  beneath  was  hidden 
under  a  covering  of  moss  ;  but  it  was  swampy  and 
spongy,  and  the  soft  earth  was  interlaced  with  long, 
fibrous  roots,  in  which  their  feet  caught  at  every 
other  step.  This  moss  overspread  everything.  It 
grew  over  the  fallen  trees  ;  it  enfolded  in  its  green 
mantle  the  huge  granite  bowlders  that  from  time  to 
time  upreared  themselves  beneath  the  trees. 

At  length  they  came  to  a  slight  rise  in  the 
ground,  where  the  soil  was  dryer.  Here  the  doc- 
tor paused,  and  the  boys  all  flung  themselves  down 


■II       « 

H 


1 1 


4 
« 


190 


THE  BOYS   OP  GRAND   FUt  SCHOOL. 


>i  I 


t  f 


on  the  ground,  breathing  heavily.  They  had 
walked  for  two  hours  now,  without  stopping,  and 
began  to  feel  exhausted.  The  doctor  also  showed 
signs  of  exhaustion.  He  said  nothing,  however, 
but  scanned  very  narrowly  the  scene  around  him. 

He  found  but  little  before  his  eyes  that  was  in 
any  way  different  from  what  he  had  been  looking 
at  for  the  last  two  hours.  He  could  see  a  few 
paces  before  hira,  but  no  farther.  There  the  trees 
arose,  and  the  prospect  terminated  in  the  dim 
aisles  of  the  forest,  with  their  shadowy  vistas. 
All  around  —  before,  behind,  and  on  either  side  — 
it  was  the  same.  There  was  the  dense  forest,  just 
such  a  forest  as  they  had  traversed  —  it  spread 
all  around  ti^em.  The  only  place  where  a  view 
could  be  had  for  any  distance  was  overhead. 

But  even  here  it  was  no  better.  For  the  boys, 
as  they  flung  themselves  down,  saw  that  during 
their  journey  a  change  had  taken  place  overhead. 
The  blue  sky  was  no  longer  to  be  seen.  In  its 
place  there  came  close  down  a  dull,  gray,  indis- 
tinct haze,  which  descended  even  to  where  they 
lay,  hiding  the  tree  tops  from  view. 

It  was  the  fog. 

Such  a  common  circumstance  elicited  no  sur- 
prise, of  course.  It  was  no  more  than  might  have 
been  expected.  The  wind  had  changed,  and  the 
fog  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  had  rushed  over  Blomidon, 
and  they,  in  those  dim  woods,  were  now  enveloped 
in  its  folds.     Nor   was  it   so  much  a  matter  of 


1    -'|! 


I 


DIFFICULTIES. 


191 


regret  to  ^hem  as  it  might  have  been  under  other 
circumstances.  Here  in  the  woods  it  made  but 
little  difference  in  their  situation.  Even  if  the 
sun  were  shining  brightly  overhead,  the  ground 
beneath  would  be  just  as  swampy,  the  fallen  trees 
as  troublesome,  the  underbrush  as  thick. 

Whatever  were  the  doctor's  own  private  feel- 
ings, he  kept  them  to  himself,  and  surveyed  the 
scene  in  silence.  At  length  he  made  up  his  mind 
as  to  his  course,  and  once  more  started  for  his 
onward  journey. 

The  journey  was  the  same  as  before.  Some- 
times a  great  growth  of  underbrush  would  impede 
their  progress,  and  that  underbrush  would  vary 
from  the  tall,  slender  stems  of  the  young  maples  to 
the  dense  and  prickly  spines  of  the  young  spruces. 
At  other  times  the  trees  would  stand  apart,  the 
scene  would  expand,  and  they  would  be  encircled 
by  a  dense  array  of  forest  columns,  between  which 
the  view  was  lost  in  shadow  and  gloom.  Some- 
times they  plunged  into  swamps,  unawares;  at 
other  times  they  tore  their  way  through  ferns  and 
trailing  plants ;  again  they  were  compelled  to 
climb  over  fallen  trees,  or  crawl  under  them. 
Once  they  came  to  a  place  which  was  quite  bare 
of  trees,  but  overgrown  with  fireweed  and  blue- 
berries. Such  places  as  these  were  known  to 
them  by  the  name  of  "  Barrens,"  and  on  this  oc- 
casion they  made  use  of  it  to  take  a  long  rest.  The 
doctor  again  looked  all  around  him  thoughtfully, 
and  appeared  buried  in  profound  reflection. 


•  1/ 


192 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   VTtt  SCHOOL. 


i'   i 


It  was  here  that  a  thought  flashed  to  the  minds 
of  all  the  boys. 

It  was  this. 

The  doctor  hadn't  the  least  idea  where  he  was  ! 

The  moment  that  thought  arose,  every  act  of  the 
doctor's  confirmed  it.  His  silence  was  a  very  re- 
markable thing.  Usually  he  was  genial  and  lively ; 
and  such  was  his  flow  of  spirits,  that  he  could 
always  throw  an  air  of  joyousness  around  an  oc- 
casion like  this.  Usually  he  was  full  of  pleasant 
and  encouraging  words.  He  had,  by  nature,  a  rare 
aptitude  for  winning  the  affection  and  confidence 
of  boys  by  throwing  himself  into  their  feelings. 
With  all  his  attainments,  he  had  in  him  much  of 
that  fresh,  brave,  frank,  joyous,  hilarious  temper 
which  we  call  "  boyish ; "  and  his  own  free  and 
frank  nature,  his  generous  enthusiasm,  his  disdain 
for  all  that  was  base,  his  exultation  in  all  that  was 
noble  and  pure,  all  combined  to  win  the  reverential 
afi'ection  of  "  hia  boys,"  as  he  called  them. 

But  now  he  had  been  silent  for  hours.  During 
all  that  weary  march  he  had  spoken  no  word  of  en- 
jouragement.  His  pleasant,  cheery  voice,  which 
might  have  lightened  half  their  toil,  had  not  been 
heard.  His  face  was  anxious,  his  gaze  abstracted. 
What  in  the  world  could  be  the  cause  of  this? 
This  was  the  question  that  came  to  all ;  and  all  felt 
that  one  thing,  and  one  thing  only,  could  in  any 
way  account  for  this. 

The  doctor  had  lost  his  way  ! 


m 


jl  dilemma. 


193 


linds 


)fthe 
ry  re- 
vely ; 
could 
in  oc- 
jasant 
a  rare 
dence 
clings, 
ich  of 
emper 
)e  and 
iisdain 
lat  was 
irential 

During 

1  of  en- 

which 

)t  been 

racted. 

f  this? 

all  felt 

in  any 


Such  was  the  general  conclusion. 

But  what  was  to  be  done  ?  None  of  them  could 
direct  him  aright.  All  were  alike  in  the  dark  as 
to  their  possible  position.  The  sky  was  not  visi- 
ble. There  were  no  landmarks  by  which  to  be 
guided.  Even  the  sight  of  the  sun  would  have 
been  a  guide ;  but  the  sun  was  now  shut  out  from 
their  view  by  a  dense  veil  of  ever-increasing  fog. 

The  doctor  remained  for  a  long  time  lost  in  his 
own  thoughts,  and  this  time  of  rest  was  precious  to 
the  overworn  boys.  They  talked  in  low  tones 
with  one  another  as  to  where  they  might  be.  None 
could  throw  any  light  on  this  question.  Every  one 
had  a  different  opinion.  None  could  even  suggest 
any  reliable  way  of  finding  out  what  they  wished 
to  know.  But  at  any  rate  the  time  of  rest  was 
precious  to  them  all;  and  when  at  length  the 
doctor  called  to  them  to  start  once  more,  they  fol- 
lowed him  with  new  vigor  in  their  limbs. 

The  doctor  now  crossed  the  "  Barrens,"  and 
changed  his  direction  somewhat  to  the  right.  They 
entered  the  woods  again,  and  once  more  encoun- 
tered the  old  struggle  against  swamps,  and  ferns, 
and  underbrush,  and  tangled  roots,  and  fallen  trees. 
The  journey  this  time  seemed  harder  than  before. 
The  boys  began  to  feel  their  exhaustion  more 
keenly.  They  exchanged  words  of  despondency, 
and  declared  to  one  another  that  they  could  not 
hold  out  much  longer.  Their  progress  was  much 
slower  than  it  had  formerly  been,  for  the  doctor 
13 


M    1 


ti 


m 


M 


i^i^ 


1 


194 


THE   BOYS  OF  GRAND   PR6   SCHOOL. 


■i 


ll  il 

\\  \ 

N         SI' 


himself  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  Biicli  unuRiial 
and  such  excessive  exertion.  He  led  them  for- 
ward, therefore,  quite  slowly,  and  stopped  to  rest 
at  times. 

What  made  it  worse  for  the  boys  was  the  fact 
that  all  this  time  they  had  to  carry  the  shovels  and 
other  things.  There  were  four  of  these,  viz.,  two 
spades,  one  hammer,  and  one  basket.  These  the 
boys  carried  by  turns  ;  but  the  trouble  of  carrying 
them  under  such  circumstances  was  intolerable. 
Sometimes  they  proposed  to  one  another  to  drop 
them ;  but  this  proposal  was  not  carried  out.  They 
still  bore  them  on,  and  exchanged  their  burdens 
more  rapidly  as  they  grew  more  weary. 

At  last  the  woods  grew  thinner,  the  ground 
dryer,  and  the  trees  smaller.  The  walking  was 
much  easier.  The  necessity  of  such  very  violent 
exertion  vras  taken  off. 

This  ground  formed  a  gentle  declivity,  where  the 
woods  in  front,  though  much  thinner  than  those 
behind,  still  shut  out  the  view.  Gradually  these 
woods  grew  less  and  less  dense,  until  at  last  im- 
mediately in  front  they  could  looit  through  and 
see  beyond  the  signs  of  some  opening. 

And  now  the  ground  began  to  descend  more 
steeply.  Where  they  were  going  none  could  tell. 
Some  thought  that  they  were  approaching  a  clear- 
ing, for  every  step  made  the  opening  in  front  more 
and  more  plain.  Through  the  trees  there  was 
nothing  visible,  indeed,  but  the   gray,  foggy  at- 


m 


LOST 


196 


mosphere ;  yet  this  itself  she  ,ved  them  that  they 
were  about  to  emerge  from  the  woods;  where, 
or  in  what  part  of  the  country,  thoy  could  not 
imagine.  Some  of  them  thought  that  tliey  were 
approaching  a  settlement,  and  rejoiced  in  the 
prospect  of  getting  upon  a  road,  or  finding  a  house 
where  they  might  rest.  Others  thought  that  they 
were  descending  the  slope  of  the  mountain  to- 
wards Cornwallis,  and  wore  hoping  every  moment 
to  emerge  forth  from  the  woods  into  some  green 
meadow  or  pleasant  pasture.  Whatever  hope 
they  might  have  had,  its  effect  m  all  of  them  was 
the  same.  They  forgot  their  fatigue  ;  new  strength 
came  to  their  wearied  limbs.  The  doctor  ad- 
vanced faster,  and  the  boys,  in  their  eagerness, 
even  hurried  ahead  of  him.  Bruce  and  Bart  were 
first  among  the  hurrying  throng. 

And  now  the  ground  descended  still  more  steep- 
ly, and  in  front  the  gray  mist  spread  out  more 
widely ;  but  one  or  two  trees  yet  intervened.  For- 
ward rushed  Bart  and  Bruce.  After  them  hurried 
all  the  others. 

But  what  was  this  ? 

Suddenly  they  all  stopped,  and  sprang  back  a 
pace  or  two. 

For  they  had  reached  almost  the  outside  edge 
of  the  forest,  but  only  to  find  that  the  gray  mist 
before  them  was  floating  free  in  the  sky,  and 
that  the  skirt  of  the  forest  was  the  edge  of  a 


;.      I 


1' 


■^!: 


M 


< } 


li'ii'J 


ill' 


,1  ., 


I,,  : 


i:  ■  ■■■']'. 


196 


THE  BOYS  OP  QBAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


tremendous  precipice,  which  went  sheer  down 
below  them,  to  a  place  whore  the  wild  sea  waves, 
hidden  from  them  by  the  mist,  sent  up  a  long,  low, 
distant,  booming  sound,  as  they  broke  in  thunder 
on  the  shore. 


t  i 


*    i 


It 

M 


SI' 


11 


IN 

111 
n  i 

!i 
M 


1 


A  QUAlfDABY. 


197 


XIV. 

Woods f  Precipices,  Mists,  and  Ocean  WaA)es.  —  Tha 
Party  divided,  and  ea<ih  Half  departs  to  seek  its 
separate  Fortune.  —  Pat  shows  how  to  go  in  a 
stradght  Line. — Pat  and  the  Porcupine.  —  In 
Chase  after  Pat.  —  Disappearance  of  Pat,  —  A 
lost  Pat,  —  Wanderings  in  Search  of  the  Lost. 

^HEY  stood  for  a  while  confounded. 

Before  them  nothing  could  be  seen  but 
the  impenetrable  fog.  The  water  beneath 
was  not  visible,  but  the  surf  sent  up  its  boom,  ami 
they  knew  that  they  were  somewhere  on  the  shore 
of  the  Bay  of  Fundy. 

But  where  ? 

"  This  is  certainly  a  most  extraordina  y  thing  I " 
cried  the  doctor,  at  last. 

The  others  said  nothing,  but  by  their  silence  as- 
sented to  the  truth  of  this  undeniable  statement. 

"  One  thing  is  evident."  said  the  doctor  again, 
"  and  that  is,  that  this  is  not  the  old  French  fort  In 
fact,  I  begin  to  doubt  whether  there  is  any  old 
French  fort  here  at  all.  They  surely  would  never 
have  been  mad  en  igh  to  build  any  kind  of  a  fort 
in  these  ab(  minabl    woods."' 


'  •  1, 1 


ti'U. 


•'!' 


■j   h 


■MMHailll 


I 


IF-  • 


V 


1.1 

!  I 


I!!; 


198 


THE   BOYS  OF   GRAND   PR6   SCHOOL. 


To  this,  again,  the  boys  made  no  reply.  The  as- 
sertion seemed  so  self-evident  that  it  appeared  like 
the  utterance  of  actual  fact. 

"  It  is  a  conviction,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  that 
has  been  growing  stronger  and  stronp:er  ever  since 
we  left  the  '  Barrens,'  and  I  now  accept  it  without 
reserve.  But  at  the  same  time,  boys,  I  confess 
that  I  haven't  the  smallest  idea  where  we  are." 

"  We  must  be  somewhere  on  the  coast  between 
Scott's  Bay  and  Hall's  Harbor,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Perfectly  true,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  but  where 
on  that  coast?  As  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  lie 
between  those  two  places,  we  have  an  almost  un- 
limited latitude  for  conjecture." 

Nothing  was  said  for  some  time.  All  looked 
along  the  coast  line  in  both  directions,  to  see  if  any- 
thing were  visible.  Nothing,  however,  could  be 
seen.  The  dense  fog  concealed  everything  from 
view. 

"Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "we  shall  have  to  do 
something ;  that's  evident.  Now,  you're  all  very 
tired,  and  so  am  I.  Let  us  sit  here  and  rest,  and 
debate  which  way  we  had  better  turn." 

They  all  sat  down  on  the  slope,  and,  looking  at 
their  watches,  they  found  that  it  was  half  past  two 
o'clock. 

"We  haven't  much  time  to  lose;  that's  plain," 
said  the  doctor,  as  he  looked  at  his  watch.  "  Let 
us  try,  first  of  all,  to  find  out  where  we  are.  In 
the  first  place,  I  think,  all  things  considered,  that 


THE  DOCTOR  HAS  AN  OPINION. 


199 


we  came  in  a  pretty  straight  line.  I  tried  to  guide 
myself  by  the  tree-tops  as  I  went,  and  I  think  our 
course  was  as  straight  as  possible." 

The  boys  all  thought  so,  too. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I'm  quite  positive  about 
that.  It  was  in  my  mind  all  the  time  to  keep  g,  per- 
fectly straight  course.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  that, 
our  way  would  have  been  easier.  But  I  had  de- 
cided on  the  position  of  the  old  French  fort,  and 
had  marked  it  on  my  map.  So,  on  starting,  I  took 
my  bearings,  and  kept  on  by  the  trees,  keeping  as 
straight  a  course  as  possible.  You  observed  how 
attentive  I  was  to  that.  That  was  the  reason  why 
I  had  so  few  words  of  encouragement  for  my  pa- 
tient young  friends  who  were  toiling  after  me,  and 
for  whom  I  felt  exceedingly  sorry  all  the  time." 

"  O,  doctor,"  said  Bart,  "  we're  all  right,  —  we 
only  hope  that  you  will  stand  it." 

"  Well,  let  us  keep  up  our  spirits,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, cheerily,  "and  we'll  come  out  all  right  yet. 
So,  you  see,  we  may  consider  that  our  course  has 
been  a  fair  one.  And  now  I  will  make  a  rough 
map  of  our  position." 

Saying  this,  the  doctor  took  his  memorandum- 
book  and  drew  his  "  rough  map."  He  marked  a 
rough  outline  for  the  coast  between  Scott's  Bay 
and  Hall's  Harbor.  Then  he  drew  the  roads  which 
ran  from  each  of  these  places  across  the  North 
Mountain  to  Coruwallis ;  and  finally  he  traced  a 
straight  line  from  the  place  where  tL  jy  had  started, 


m 


•• 


■ 


I  '^ 


lihi 


200 


THE  BOTB  OF  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


in  the  direction  which  he  supposed  that  they  had 
gone.  The  result  was,  that  he  made  their  present 
position  close  by  Hall's  Harbor.  After  finishing 
this,  he  handed  it  to  the  boys,  who  inspected  it 
very  closely. 

"Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "what  do  you  think 
of  it  ?  " 

They  were  silent  for  some  time.  At  length 
Bruce  spoke. 

"The  only  thing  against  it,  sir,"  said  he,  "is, 
that  our  course  may  not  have  been  so  perfectly 
straight." 

"  But  then,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  took  particular 
care,  and  always  kept  several  trees  in  line  before 
me,  so  as  to  go  straight." 

"  Still,  sir,"  said  Bruce,  "  travelling  in  the  woods 
is  a  very  peculiar  thing.  I've  done  it  often.  I've 
lived  for  weeks  in  the  woods,  camping  out ;  and  it's 
always  been  my  experience  that  a  man  can't  go 
straight,  unless  he  has  a  compass,  or  at  least  some 
general  landmarks.  An  Indian  might,  perhaps ; 
but  I'm  sure  I  couldn't." 

The  doctor  seemed  quite  impressed  by  this. 

"  Well,  Bruce,"  said  he,  "  I  know  you  have  had 
far  more  experience  in  the  woods  than  I  can  pre- 
tend to,  and  I  should  like  very  much  to  get  your 
opinion  without  reserve." 

"  You  see,  sir,"  said  Bruce,  "  everybody  has  a 
tendency,  in  the  woods,  to  lean  to  the  right.  It's 
the  same,  I've  heard,  on  the  western  prairies.     I 


I 


il 


BRUCE   HAS   AN   OPINION. 


201 


don't  pretend  to  know  the  cause  of  it.  I  only 
know  it's  so.  This  makes  one  go  in  a  kind  of  curved 
line,  80  that  if  one  wanders  long  enough  he'll  per- 
form a  sort  of  circle.  I  know  once,  in  Cape  Breton, 
I  actually  came  back  to  the  place  I  started  from, 
and  all  the  time  I  thought  I  was  miles  away.  I 
took  great  pains,  too,  to  walk  straight ;  and  it  was  a 
better  country  than  this.  Now  we've  been  work- 
ing our  way  through  all  kinds  of  places.  We've 
been  in  thick  underbrush,  where,  for  my  part,  I 
don't  see  how  it  was  possible  to  keep  a  straight 
course.  We've  had  to  go  round  rocks  and  follen 
trees.  After  breaking  a  straight  course  by  making 
such  a  circuit,  however  small,  it  seems  to  me  almost 
impossible  to  take  it  up  agail^.  A  slight  mistake 
at  the  outset  makes  a  great  difference  by  the  time 
you  get  to  the  journey's  end." 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  where  do  you  think 
we  may  be  ?    Point  out  on  the  map  the  place." 

"  1  can't  do  that,"  said  Bruce,  "  of  course.  I  can 
only  say  that  I  think  we've  been,  as  usual,  swerv- 
ing to  the  right ;  and  if  so,  we  are  now  really  much 
nearer  to  Scott's  Bay  than  we  are  to  Hall's  Har- 
bor." 

The  doctor  now  sat  thinking  for  some  time. 

"  There's  a  great  deal  in  what  you  say,  Bruce," 
said  he,  at  length, "  and  I'm  very  glad  you've  given 
your  opinion.  At  the  same  time  I  feel  quite  confi- 
dent that,  if  I  have  swerved  to  the  right,  it  cannot 
have  been  to  any  great  extent.     The  care  which 


n 


*       'I 

1 ' 

id 

I 


I  i     I 


I 


202 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND   PRE  SCHOOL. 


fi 


fi 


111; 
if;;' 


iiH 


i;ii 


I  took  was  SO  extreme,  that  my  calculations  cannot 
be  much  out  of  the  way.  I  dare  say  I  may  have 
lost  my  course  a  little  while  going  through  the 
thick  underbrush,  but  I'm  convinced  that  I  found 
it  again  pretty  correctly.  Now  I  will  mark  out  a 
new  track  on  the  map,  and  make  allowance  for  any 
deviation  from  a  true  course." 

Saying  this,  the  doctor  traced  a  new  line,  which 
curved  slightly  to  the  right,  and  made  their  pres- 
ent position  somewhat  farther  away  from  Hall's 
Harbor  than  the  former  conjecture  had  made  it. 
Still  this  new  estimate  made  them  much  nearer  to 
Hall's  Harbor  than  to  Scott's  Bay. 

He  showed  this  to  Bruce,  and  asked  him  what 
he  thought  of  it. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Bruce,  "  I  will  only  say  that  if 
I  had  headed  the  party,  with  all  my  care,  I 
should  be  very  much  farther  to  the  right  than 
you  make  it." 

"  So  you  think  that  we  are  now  nearer  to  Scott's 
Bay  than  to  Hall's  Harbor  ?  " 

"Very  much  neare,  Jr,"  said  Bruce. 

The  doctor  said  no  more,  but  sat  for  a  long  time 
silently  regarding  his  map. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  at  last,  "  it  seems  to  me  to  be  a 
fair  question.  You,  Bruce,  have  had  very  much 
experience  in  the  woods ;  but  then  I  rely  on  my 
own  correctness.  On  the  whole,  I  think  it  would 
be  better  for  us  now  to  divide  ourselves  into  two 
parties.     One  party  could  go  in  the  direction  of 


THE  PARTY  DIVIDES. 


203 


i; 


HalPs  Harbor,  the  other  towards  Scott's  Bay.  As 
you  are  an  old  hand  in  the  woods,  Bruce,  I  con- 
sider you  quite  fit  to  head  one  party,  and  try  Scott's 
Bay.  For  my  part,  I  will  take  another  party,  and 
make  for  Hall's  Harbor.  What  do  you  say  to 
that  ?  " 

"  0,  no,  sir,"  said  Bruce ;  "  we  won't  leave  you. 
"We'll  stay  with  you,  and  follow  you  wherever 
you  go." 

The  doctor  laughed. 

"  O,  nonsense  I "  said  he.  "  If  we  were  wander- 
ing in  the  forests  of  the  Amazon  valley,  we  might 
then  make  it  a  matter  of  duty  to  stand  by  one 
another ;  but  these  woods  are  only  a  small  affair. 
By  going  in  any  direction,  we  must  emerge  from 
them  before  very  long.  Even  if  we  were  overtaken 
by  the  darkness,  it  would  be  no  great  hardship  to 
pass  the  night  here.  We  could  make  comfortable 
beds  out  of  spruce  boughs  and  fern.  To  tell  the 
truth,  roughing  it  in  the  bush  has  rather  an  attrac- 
tion for  me  than  otherwise  ;  and  I  know  your  weak- 
ness, boys,  in  that  respect.  Besides,  in  two  houru, 
at  the  very  farthest,  we're  sure  to  come  out  some- 
where. If  I  thought  that  there  was  any  danger, 
I  would  not  think  of  separating  you,  but  would 
guard  you  as  carefully  as  possible.  The  most 
that  can  happen  is  some  little  inconvenience.  So, 
Bruce,  you  may  consider  yourself  the  commander 
of  the  Scott's  Bay  party.  Who  will  be  your  fol- 
lowers ?  " 


■!■  j 


' 


*a 


ill 


I''. 

■1^ 


•» 


fc  -'/.SV 


.*;■ 


.  I' 
'1 1 


204 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


' 


^  ii 


lifJl! 


I;( 


i  m 


!l! 


m 


"  I/'  said  Bart,  whose  hesitation  had  been  driven 
away  by  the  doctor's  words. 

"  I/'  said  Arthur. 

"  And  I,"  said  Tom. 

"  And  I,"  said  Phil. 

"  Bedad,  thin,  an  it's  mesilf  that'll  jine  that  same," 
said  Pat,  who  preferred  the  comparative  freedom 
that  he  would  enjoy  under  Bruce  to  the  restraint 
which  he  felt  with  the  doctor.  For  the  doctor,  who, 
with  the  other  boys,  was  a  great  favorite,  and  had 
won  all  their  hearts  by  that  boyish  enthusiasm 
which  age  could  never  extinguish  in  him,  and  by 
his  evident  fellow-feeling  and  sympathy  with  them 
in  all  their  joys  and  sorrows,  was  not  so  well  known 
to  Pat,  and,  in  spite  of  his  kindness  to  the  poor 
Irish  boy,  still  remained  an  object  of  grateful  affec- 
tion certainly,  but  yet  one  of  extreme  awe.  So 
Pat  elected  to  go  with  Bruce. 

The  other  boys  preferred  taking  their  chance 
with  the  doctor.  These  were  Jiggins,  Bogud, 
Sammy,  Johnny,  and  Billymack.  Thus  the  party 
was  about  equally  divided,  —  five  going  under  the 
command  of  Bruce,  and  five  under  the  command 
of  the  doctor.  By  the  time  these  arrangements 
were  completed  it  was  thl^ee  o'clock.  They  all 
felt  refreshed  by  their  rest,  and  inspirited  also  by 
the  prospect  of  getting  onward  out  of  the  woods 
into  some  road,  or  some  settlement. 

"  If  I  reach  Hall's  Harbor,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I 
will  get  horses,  and  drive  at  once  to  where  we  left 


a 


*H 


NEW  DEPARTURES. 


205 


our  wagons.     If  you  get  to  the  Scott's  Bay  road, 
go  back  to  that  place  and  wait  for  me." 

With  these  words  the  doctor  and  his  party  set 
off  in  one  direction,  while  Bruce  started  away  with 
his  followers  in  another.  As  the  trees  were  farther 
apart  near  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  he  walked  along 
here  for  some  time ;  but  at  last  finding  that  the 
line  was  irregular,  and  coming  to  a  place  where  it 
ran  out  into  a  kind  of  promontory,  he  kept  on,  seek- 
ing only  to  find  the  easiest  place  for  walking.  For 
a  long  time  he  tried  to  keep  in  a  line  with  what  he 
supposed  to  be  the  direction  of  the  coast ;  but  at 
length  he  found  himself  away  from  it  altogether. 
He  then  turned,  determined  to  regain  it,  but  found 
the  way  so  difficult  that  he  gave  it  up. 

"  The  fact  is,  boys,"  said  he,  "  our  only  chance 
was  to  keep  stolidly  along  the  edge  of  the  cliff, 
and  follow  all  its  windings.  We've  lost  it  now. 
There  are  two  things  for  us  to  do  —  either  to  get 
back  to  the  cliff  again  at  all  hazards,  or  to  keep  on 
through  the  woods  as  we  are  going  now.  One  is 
the  safer  way,  but  the  other  is  easier." 

"  0,  bother  the  cliff,"  said  Bart ;  "  we're  doing 
very  well.  I  don't  care,  for  my  part,  whether  we're 
lost  or  not.  I'd  just  as  soon  camp  out.  The  only 
trouble  is,  we  haven't  anythmg  to  eat.  We've  eaten 
all  our  sandwiches.  And  then  these  miserable 
spades.  I  don't  see  why  they  couldn't  have  taken 
them.  But  no. —  Jiggins  and  Bogud  insisted  on 
taking  the  hammer  and  the  basket,  and  they  caU 
that  a  fair  division  I  " 


•» 


206 


THE   BOYS  OF  GRAND   PR6  SCHOOL. 


t 


1 


[ 


llll 


n 


l'  Hi 


"  I'm  of  Bart's  opinion/'  said  Arthur.  "  I  say, 
let's  go  where  it  is  easiest,  and  trust  to  luck. 
And  let's  all  take  care  of  our  right  legs,  and  not 
let  them  drag  us  into  a  circle." 

"  No,  that  won't  do,"  said  Bruce  ;  "  if  you  try  to 
guard  against  turning  to  the  right,  you'll  be  sure 
to  turn  too  much  to  the  left.  It's  impossible  to  go 
straight  unless  you're  an  Indian.  Best  to  walk  as 
straight  as  you  can,  and  occasionally  change  your 
course  so  as  to  correct  any  deviation." 

"  Why  not  walk  zigzag  ?  "  said  Phil. 

"  Or  backwards  ?  "  said  Tom. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  said  Pat,  "  what  we'd  ort  till  do. 
Let's  howld  a  sthraight  powl  before  ourselves,  an 
follow  it.     That'll  be  sure  till  take  us  sthraight." 

A  roar  of  laughter  greeted  this  proposal. 

"  Very  well^  Pat ;  get  your  pole  and  try  it,"  said 
Bart. 

"  'Deed  an  I  jist  will,"  said  Pat ;  and  seeing  a 
young,  slender  maple  near  by,  he  cut  it  down  with 
his  knife,  lopped  off  the  young  twigs,  and  thus 
formed  a  long,  slender,  straight  pole.  Taking  this 
in  his  hand,  he  gravely  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
the  party.  Then  he  held  out  the  pole.  "  There," 
said  he  ;  "  isn't  this  powl  sthraight  ?  " 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  said  they. 

"  Then  sure,  an  if  we  go  by  it,  we  must  go 
sthraigit,  too,"  said  Pat.  And  saying  this,  he  started 
off,  holding  the  pole  before  him. 

The  boys  followed  in  great  glee,  almost  bursting 


rsiii 


PAT   AND   THE  POLE. 


207 


with  laughter,  while  Pat  led  them  on  with  his  pole, 
with  an  expression  of  ineffable  satisfaction,  holding 
the  pole  straight  before  him. 

So  they  went  on,  and  Bruce,  out  of  pure  enjoy- 
ment of  the  thing,  let  Pat  lead  wherever  he  wished. 

At  last  Pat  gave  a  wild  yell,  leaped  forward,  and 
slashed  violently  with  his  pole  at  something. 

The  boys  crowded  up. 

The  something  at  which  Pat  had  struck  had  got 
under  some  fern  leaves,  and  was  iiot  visible.  But 
Pat  slashed  away  bravely  in  all  directions.  Sud- 
denly there  came  running  out  a  queer  little  animal, 
all  covered  with  sharp  spines.  It  did  not  run  very 
fast,  and  Bart,  who  carried  a  spade,  could  easily 
have  killed  it.  But  he  did  not.  He  stood  still, 
and  let  it  run  close  by  him.  Pat  had  lost  sight  of 
it  for  a  moment,  and  was  looking  in  all  direc- 
tions for  it,  when  suddenly  he  caught  sight  of 
it.  With  a  wild  yell  he  rushed  after  it,  swing- 
ing his  pole  and  slashing  it  madly  against  the 
ground.  The  little  animal  dodged  under  some 
blueberry  bushes ;  and  while  Pat  was  slashing  at 
these,  it  escaped  and  ran  into  a  hollow  tree  which 
lay  on  the  ground.  Into  this  Pat  poked  his  pole  ; 
but  as  he  poked  it  in  at  one  end,  the  little  animal 
ran  out  from  the  other,  and  hurried  away  as  fast  as 
his  little  legs  would  carry  him. 

Again  Pat  caught  sight  of  him,  and  gave  chase. 

Meanwhile  the  other  boys  had  not  interfered. 
They  left  it  all  to  Pat.    They  also  felt  a  sort  of 


•I 


'■'    i 


208 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  FUt   SCHOOL. 


sympathy  with  the  poor  little  creature,  and  gave 
it  all  their  best  wishes  in  its  efforts  to  escape. 
Phil,  as  well  as  Bart,  might  have  despatched  it  with 
the  spade  that  he  happened  just  then  to  be  carry- 
ing ;  but  he  would  not :  so  the  little  thing  ran  off, 
and  Pat  followed  after  it,  turning  and  winding  in 
all  directions.  The  boys  then  wont  off  after  Pat, 
so  as  to  keep  him  in  sight ;  but  before  long  they 
lost  him  altogether.  They  went  forward  to  the 
last  place  where  they  had  seen  him,  and  began  to 
shout  for  him. 

There  was  no  answer,  however. 

They  shouted  again  and  again,  and  waited  a  long 
time  for  some  response.  They  began  to  be  anxious 
about  him.  Where  had  he  gone  ?  He  was  chasing 
that  little  animal,  and  in  the  excitement  of  the 
chase  had  forgotten  everything.  It  was  getting 
late,  and  there  was  no  time  now  for  chasing  any- 
thing. They  ought  to  be  moving  on,  and  trying 
to  get  to  Scott's  Bay.  But  they  could  not  do  so 
till  they  had  found  Pat. 

They  wandered  along,  calling  in  every  possible 
kind  of  way,  and  waiting,  after  every  call,  to  see  if 
there  would  be  any  response.  But  no  reeponse 
came.  They  kept  on  in  the  way  in  which  they 
supposed  Pat  had  gone,  and  shouted,  and  screamed, 
and  halloed,  and  yelled,  and  whistled,  and  made 
every  noiso  that  could  be  made.  But  their  utmost 
efforts  proved  of  no  avail ;  and  all  their  shouts 
excited  no  response,  except  the  echoes  that  rever- 
berated through  the  long,  dim  forest  aisles. 


n 


LOST  AGAIN. 


209 


At  length  thoy  gave  up. 

"  Well,  what  are  wo  to  do  now  ?  "  said  Bruce. 

"Pat's  off — that's  certam,"  said  Bart;  "and 
how  we  can  find  him  again  is  more  than  I  can  tell." 

"  There  isn't  any  danger,  of  course.  He'll  work 
his  way  along ;  but  still  he  belongs  to  our  party, 
and  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  leaving  him." 

"  We'd  better  keep  on  quietly,  as  we  were 
going,"  said  Arthur.  "  There's  no  use  for  us  to 
stand  still.  This  seems  to  be  the  direction  in 
which  he  was  going." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom ;  "  let's  go  on.  We  haven't  any 
time  to  lose.     It's  six  o'clock  now." 

They  went  on. 

They  hadn't  the  faintest  idea  now  where  they 
were.  Whatever  general  notion  of  their  course 
they  had  kept  up,  while  first  following  Pat,  had  now 
been  altogether  lost.  His  chase  after  the  little 
animal  had  been  a  very  eccentric  one,  and  they 
had  faced  in  several  different  directions  while 
pursuing  him.  The  monotonous  woods  gave  no 
sign  by  which  they  might  learn  their  course. 
They  could  not  find  their  way  now  even  to  the 
place  where  Pat  had  been  seized  with  his  strange 
frenzy.  The  fact  is,  they  were  utterly  and  hope- 
lessly lost. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Arthur,  "  that  we're 
going  to  Hall's  Harbor." 

"  No,"  said  Phil ;  "  we're  steering  straight  for 
Cornwallis." 

14 


:• 

' ;  1 1 

i 

i 

''X\ 


210 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND   PR6  SCHOOL. 


IP 


"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Tom.  "  We're  going  to 
Scott's  Bay." 

"  It's  my  opinion,"  said  Bart,  "  that  we're  on  our 
way  to  the  clitt';  and  as  its  getting  dark,  we'd  better 
be  careful.  Bruce,  if  you  get  to  tlie  cliff  first,  and 
fall  over  in  the  dark,  just  let  us  know  before  you 
go  down.  I  wouldn't  care  so  much  in  fine,  bright 
weather,  but  I  have  a  prejudice  against  tumbling 
over  cliffs  on  a  foggy  night." 

"  You  needn't  trouble  yourself,"  said  Bruce. 
"  We'll  never  come  near  a  cliff*,  or  anything  else. 
I  know  all  about  it.  We're  wandering  in  a  circle. 
We'll  camp  in  the  woods  to-night,  and  to-morrow 
night,  after  wandering  all  day,  we'll  get  back  to  the 
same  place.  I  move,  therefore,  that  we  stop  now 
in  this  place,  and  build  a  good,  solid  camp,  that 
will  serve  for  a  shelter  every  night  after  our  cir- 
cular wanderings." 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  we  won't  begin  just  yet.  I 
want  to  get  to  the  cliff." 

'•  I  want  to  get  to  Scott's  Bay,"  said  Tom. 

*'  I'm  determined,"  said  Phil,  "  to  get  to  Corn' 
wallis." 

"  Pooh ! "  said  Arthur.  "  Every  one  of  us  will 
sleep  to-night  in  Hall's  Harbor.  Come  along, 
joys." 


POOR   PROSPECTS. 


211 


XV. 


\m 


1     'HI 

1  jII" 

-  ^B 

'  ■ 

ti 

All  lost.  —  The  gathering  Oloom  of  Fog  and  of 
Niyht. — Sudden  Discovery. — The  lost  One  found. 
— A  Turkey  with  four  Legs,  —  A  cheerful  Discus- 
sion. —  Five  Hours  of  Wandering.  —  When  will 
it  end  ?  —  Once  more  upon  the  Tramp. 


^IIEY  went  on. 

The  shades  of  evening  were  now  coming 
down  rapidly,  and  these  were  all  intensified 
by  the  dense  fog  that  hung  around  them.  The 
woods  grew  more  and  more  obscure,  and  the  gloom 
that  prevailed  here  was  added  to  that  of  the  twi- 
light and  the  fog.  It  was  evident  that  they  could 
not  go  on  much  longer. 

Fortunately,  it  was  not  so  difficult  now  as  it  had 
been  previously.  The  trees  stood  farther  apart 
than  usual.  There  was  but  little  underbrush.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  moss,  but  it  was  quite 
dry.  This  was  encouraging,  for  if  they  tried  to 
pass  the  night  in  the  woods,  they  could  not  find  a 
better  place  than  the  one  which  they  were  travers- 
ing. They  would  probably  have  given  up,  and  de- 
cided upon  making  preparations  for  the  night,  had 
it  not  been  for  their  desire  to  find  Pat.    If  he  had 


•» 


^     I 


'1 


■■   ,  Hi 


f  ifi''- 


212 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


I 


!i!;t 


been  with  them,  their  journey  for  that  night  would 
have  ended.  But  they  did  not  hke  to  think  of  him 
alone,  severed  from  them,  and  wandering  in  the 
woods.  So  they  kept  on  their  way ;  and  still,  as 
they  went  along,  they  shouted  occasionally,  with 
some  vague  hope  that  their  cry  might  come  to  the 
ears  of  the  wanderer. 

It  grew  darker  and  darker. 

At  last  they  began  to  think  of  halting  for  the 
night.  Pat  was  given  up.  They  comforted  them- 
selves with  the  thought  that  he  was  hj,rdy,  and 
fearless,  and  self-reliant ;  that  the  nights  were  mild ; 
and  that  spruce  boughs  abounded,  together  with 
ferns  and  moss,  on  which  one  might  sleep  peace- 
fully and  pleasantly.  So,  as  it  grew  darker,  they 
talked  of  stopping,  and  making  their  preparations 
for  the  night  before  it  grew  too  dark. 

Suddenly,  as  they  were  talking  over  these  things, 
they  saw  before  them  through  the  trees,  yet  not 
more  than  a  dozen  paces  distant,  a  very  familiar 
form,  It  was  a  "  snake  fence,"  —  that  is  to  say,  -^ 
fence  formed  of  poles,  built  in  such  a  way  that  it 
runs  in  a  zigzag  direction.  At  once  the  thought 
flashed  upon  them  that  they  were  near  some  farm- 
house, perhaps  some  settlement;  and  then  arose 
the  hope  of  a  better  night's  rest  than  could  be  af- 
forded by  the  woods  with  their  damp  and  foggy 
atmosphere.  With  a  cry  of  joy  they  rushed  for- 
ward. They  reached  it.  They  looked  over.  In  a 
moment  tlie  cry  of  joy  was  succeeded  by  one  of 
surprise. 


THEY  FIND   A   ROAD. 


213 


It  was  a  road  which  lay  before  them. 

Yes,  a  road,  wide  and  well  travelled,  —  not  a 
private  path  to  some  small  cottage,  not  an  ox-path 
through  dense  woods,  but  a  regular  road  fit  for 
carriages,  and  evidently  leading  to  some  settle- 
ment. 

But  what  settlement? 

In  a  moment  they  had  clambered  over  the  fence, 
and  stood  in  the  road  with  one  common  determina- 
tion in  all  of  them  not  to  leave  it  again  for  any 
woods  whatsoever. 

Yet  what  road  was  this  ?  and  where  did  it  go  ? 

This  was  the  question. 

And  this  question  it  was  not  possible  to  answer. 

Had  they  continued  on  uninterruptedly,  Bruce 
would  have  been  convinced  that  it  was  the  Scott's 
Bay  road.  But  their  digression  after  Pat  had  led 
them  such  a  journey,  that  he  was  not  by  any  means 
sure ;  nor  were  any  of  the  others.  All  felt  that 
they  had  been  wandering  blindly,  that  after  leaving 
the  cliff  they  had  no  certainty  as  to  their  destina- 
tion. This  uncertainty  had  been  increased  by  Pat's 
leadership  with  the  pole,  and  had  been  turned  into 
utter  and  hopeless  perplexity  by  their  last  pursuit 
of  him.  They  had  been  wandering  now,  since  they 
parted  with  Dr.  Porter,  for  more  than  four  hours. 
That  gave  time  enough  for  them  to  get  anywhere. 
It  might  be  the  road  to  Hall's  Harbor  in  which 
they  now  found  themselves. 

In  this  state  of  uncertainty  they  remained  for 
some  time. 


I        : 


t    '  ,-■ 

.,.'.!•■ 


214 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


<v 


i    ' 


"  Well,  boys/'  said  Bruce,  at  last,  "  it's  impossi- 
ble to  tell  where  we  are  ;  but,  in  my  opinion,  we'd 
better  take  it  for  granted  that  this  is  the  Scott's 
Bay  road.  It's  more  likely,  after  all,  to  be  that 
than  the  Hall's  Harbor  road.  If  it  is,  we  have  to 
find  our  way  back  to  where  the  wagons  are,  accord- 
ing to  the  doctor's  directions,  and  wait  there  for 
him.  Now,  if  this  is  the  Scott's  Bay  road,  we  must 
turn  to  the  right,  in  order  to  go  back,  for  on  the 
left  it  goes  to  Scott's  Bay.  So,  I  say,  let's  turn 
up  the  road  to  the  right,  and  walk  back  to  the 
wagons." 

Bruce's  opinion  was  accepted  by  the  others,  and 
his  decision  at  once  adopted.  They  all  turned  up 
the  road  to  the  right,  and  walked  onward,  not 
knowing  how  far  they  would  have  to  walk,  yet 
feeling  greatly  inspirited  by  the  mere  fact  that  they 
were  out  of  the  woods. 

As  they  went  on,  it  grew  darker  and  darker  at 
every  step.  The  sun  had  gone  down,  the  shadows 
of  night  were  descending,  and  these  shadows  were 
all  deepened  by  the  universal  fog  which  covered 
all  things.  The  deepening  gloom  made  their  own 
escape  from  the  woods  appear  all  the  more  fortu- 
nate. True,  they  might  have  built  a  fire  there,  to 
cheer  themselves  by  its  light,  and  spread  soft  beds 
of  moss  and  fern  around  it,  and  thus,  even  amid  the 
forest,  tiiey  could  have  risen  superior  to  their  dis- 
mal surroundings ;  but  still  there  was  a  very  great 
relief,  which  was  felt  by  all,  at  their  gaining  a  road 


IV 


1\ 


PAT   APPEARS. 


215 


which  might  lead  them  to  some  human  abode. 
Besides,  they  were  hungry.  They  had  eaten  all 
their  sandwiches,  and  were  eager  for  something  to 
assuage  their  ravenous  appetites. 

One  thing  there  was,  however,  which  greatly 
marred  their  joy,  and  that  was  the  thought  of  poor 
Pat.  Perhaps  he  still  was  wandering  in  the  woods, 
having  given  up  his  chase,  calling  for  them,  and 
thinking  that  they  had  deserted  him.  The  thought 
of  poor  Pat's  loneliness  was  a  sad  one  to  all  of 
them,  and  they  could  only  find  consolation  in  their 
belief  in  his  perfect  ability  to  take  care  of  himself. 
At  books  he  might  not  be  very  brilliant,  but  in  all 
the  practical  matters  of  life  Pat  was  certainly  in 
every  way  worthy  of  being  left  entirely  to  himself 
Under  such  circumstances,  Pat  was  able  to  shine 
with  uncommon  brilliancy.  In  all  probability,  he 
would  fare  better  if  left  to  his  own  devices,  than 
he  would  if  he  were  a  member  of  a  crowd  of 
school-boys.  With  such  thoughts  as  these  they 
comforted  themselves,  and  thus  tried  to  overcome 
their  anxiety  about  Pat. 

They  had  walked  about  half  a  mile  after  leaving 
the  woods,  when  they  saw  a  figure  approaching 
them.  It  was  not  far  away  when  they  first  noticed 
that  figure,  and  it  appeared  strangely  familiar. 

They  came  nearer  and  nearer.  The  familiar 
outlines  of  the  approaching  figure  grew  more  and 
more  distinct.  At  last  the  figure  came  close  up  to 
them,  and  then  suspicions  became  a  delightful  cer- 
tainty. 


I 


'» 


l.:|' 


W' 


-  ;;i; 


t  ■  v 

■•  ■ 


216 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL, 


<' 


!|('i' 


!;i;i:' 


iil'll:' 


Yes  I    It  was  no  other  than  Pat  himself! 

A  wild  uproar  of  cheers  and  voluble  question- 
ings greeted  the  returning  wanderer. 

"  When  did  you  get  out  of  the  woods  ? "  they 
asked. 

"Whin,  is  it?  Sure  it  wor  ony  five  minutes 
ago." 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Where,  is  it  ?  Sure  I'm  goin  back  till  the 
'Cad'my." 

"  The  Academy  ?  Pooh  !  you're  going  straight 
away  from  it.  Come  along  with  us.  Didn't  you 
hear  us  calling  you  ?  " 

"  Callin  me  ?     Niver  a  call  did  I  hear." 

"  Why,  we  followed  you,  and  yelled,  and  shouted, 
and  halloed,  and  hooted,  and  screamed,  and  bawled, 
and  roared,  and  squalled,  and  whistled,  and  crowed, 
and  croaked,  and  made  every  noise  that  we  could 
make.  We  gave  up  everything  to  find  you.  It 
was  only  by  chance  that  we  found  the  road.  We 
have  just  been  talking  about  you.  We  were  think- 
ing about  going  into  the  woods  again  a  little  way, 
and  shouting.  But  where's  your  pole,  and  what's 
become  of  the  animal  that  you  were  chasing  ?  " 

"  Sure  an  it's  the  mischief  itsilf  intirely.  Niver 
did  I  see  such  a  baste.  I  chased  it,  an  chased  it, 
an  it  dodged,  an  I  thought  I  sthruck  it  a  hun- 
dhred  times ;  but  the  little  baste  got  off  afther  all, 
so  it  did." 

"  So  you  didn't  catch  it." 


THE  LITTLE   BASTE. 


217 


"  Catch  it  ?  Niver  a  catch.  It  tuk  me  up  into 
a  place  that  I  couldn't  get  out  of  fur  half  an  hour. 
1  lost  me  pole,  an  gave  up.  I  couldn't  find  a  sign 
of  it,  an  I  wandhered  about,  whin  all  av  a  suddint, 
I  found  mesilf  by  the  road.  An  be  the  powers  I 
it  wor  mesilf  that  wor  glad  till  find  that  same. 
The  dirty  little  baste  that  wudn't  let  itsilf  be 
caught,  like  a  Christian  I " 

''  What  dirty  little  baste  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  wild  turkey." 

"  Wild  turkey  !     Ha,  ha,  ha  I " 

"  Wild  duck,  thin." 

"  Wild  duck  I  "  cried  the  boys ;  and  another  laugh 
followed. 

"  Well,  thin,  it  wor  a  wild  goose,  ony  it  had 
fower  legs,  so  it  had  —  whativer  it  wor." 

At  this  very  remarkable  description  the  boys' 
laughter  burst  forth  afresh. 

"Well,"  said  Pat,  "  what  wor  it,  thin?  — wor  it 
a  bay ver  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Bart,  "  nor  a  moose,  either." 

"  What  wor  it,  thin  ?  "  cried  Pat.  *'  Niver  did  I 
behowld  an34hin  like  it.  It  had  fower  legs,  so  it 
had ;  an  it  had  long  spikes  all  over  its  back.  Was 
it  any  kind  of  a  rabbit,  thin  ?  " 

"  It  was  a  porcupine,"  said  Arthur.  "  Haven't 
you  ever  seen  any  of  them  ?  " 

"  Pooh  !  "  said  Bart.  "  Pat,  look  here.  I'll  tell 
you  really  what  it  was.  It  was  the  real,  identical, 
original,  bona  fide  ghost,  that  howls  and  knocks  in 


n 


Pi 


218 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR1&  SCHOOL. 


tfv 


i  ^Mi 


the  Academy  garret.  You  ought  to  have  known 
it  at  once.     I  did,  the  moment  I  saw  it." 

'•  Ah,  blatheration  take  ye,  wid  yer  ghosts,  an 
yer  howls,"  said  Pat,  peevishly.  "  An  what  wor 
that  ye  said  ? "  he  asked,  turning  to  Arthur. 
"  What  wor  the  name  av  the  little  baste  that  ye 
mintioned  jest  now,  thin  ?  " 

"  A  porcupine,"  said  Arthur. 

"  Porkypine  ! "  said  Pat.  "  Porkypine  I  Well, 
it  wor  a  strange  baste  intirely.  I  thried  hard  to 
get  him.  It  ud  have  been  a  swate  baste  fur  the 
Musayum,  so  it  wud.  But  I  cudn't  get  a  howld 
av  him,  bad  luck  to  him  I  " 

"  It's  lucky  for  you,  Pat,"  said  Bart,  "  that  you 
didn't  get  hold  of  him.  He's  got  spikes  enough 
about  his  back  to  stick  you  through  and  through, 
if  you  put  your  hand  on  him.  You've  got  off  very 
easily,  Pat.     You  ought  to  say  good  luck  to  him." 

"  Sure  an  it's  mesilf  that  niver,  niver  saw  the 
aqual  av  that  baste,  so  I  didn't.  I  hit  him  mesilf 
wid  me  powl  a  dozen  cracks  —  yes,  a  hundhred ; 
but  niver  a  bit  did  he  budge  for  all  that  same.  He 
didn't  let  out  ayven  a  squake,  so  he  didn't.  An 
me  a  chasin  av  him  over  the  wuds  I  But  I  oudn't 
get  nair  him." 

"  0,  well,  Pat,  it's  all  right,"  said  Bruce.  "  You 
ought  to  be  glad  you  didn't  get  near  him.  You'd 
have  been  laid  up  for  a  couple  of  months  if  you 
had.  If  you  don't  understand  porcupines,  you'd 
better   steer   dear  of  them.     They're   not   very 


liil 


0*  TTARD. 


219 


pleasant  beasts  to  handle.  I  know  that.  But 
come,  boys.  It's  getting  darker  and  darker.  We 
mustn't  stand  dawdling  here  all  night.  Hurry  up, 
and  come  along." 

Saying  this,  Bruce  strode  forward,  and  all  the 
boys  followed. 


!» 


220 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


f 


XVI. 

Sudden  and  unaccountable  Beunion  of  the  tioo 
wandering  Bands.  —  A  tremendous  Circle  de- 
scribed by  Somebody.  —  Where  are  we  going  ? 
ScotVs  Bay,  or  HalVs  Harbor.  —  Descent  into  die 
Plain.  —  Tioinlding  Lights.  —  Sudden  Sound  of 
Sea  Surf  breaking  in  the  Middle  of  a  Prairie. 


i 


I 

I 


fND  now  every  moment  it  grew  darker  and 
darker.  It  was  about  eight  o'clock.  The 
sun  had  gone  down,  the  shadows  of  night 
were  gathering,  and  the  fog  seemed  thicker  than 
ever.  As  they  walked  on  they  could  see  but  a  few 
paces  before  them. 

They  supposed  themselves  to  be  going  in  the 
direction  of  the  house  where  the  wagons  were  left ; 
but,  after  all,  they  were  not  qiiite  sure  of  the  way. 
It  might  be  some  other  road  altogether.  They  had 
been  over  the  Scott's  Bay  road  once  or  twice  before^ 
but  it  w^ould  not  have  been  familiar  even  by  day- 
light, while  in  such  gloom  as  this,  no  road,  however 
familiar,  could  be  recognized.  As  they  went  they 
peered  anxiously  through  the  gloom,  in  hopes  of 
seeing  cultivated  fields,  or  houses.    But  nothing  of 


REUNION. 


221 


i 


the  kind  appeared  to  their  anxious  eyes.  They 
also  looked  forward  with  straining  eyes,  and  lis- 
tened with  the  closest  attention,  in  hopes  of  meeting 
with  some  people  who  might  make  them  acquainted 
with  their  actual  position.  But  nothing  could  be 
either  seen  or  heard  in  front,  and  so  they  had 
nothing  else  to  do  than  to  walk  on  as  quickly  as 
their  wearied  limbs  would  allow. 

At  length  they  heard  the  sound  of  voices  ahead, 
and  footsteps,  which  seemed  to  approach  them. 
They  stood  and  waited.  Soon  a  number  of  figures 
appeared,  rendered  gigantic  by  the  mist  .'.nd  dark 
ness.  The  boys  hurried  towards  them,  and  Bruce 
at  once  addressed  the  foremost  figure. 

The  foremost  figure  at  the  same  instant  ad- 
drc^ssed  Bruce. 

And  both  asked  exactly  the  same  question,  or 
rather  part  of  what  would  evidently  have  been  the 
same  question  if  it  had  been  finished. 

It  was,  — 

Bruce.     "  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  —  " 

Foremost  Figure,  "  Will  you  have  the  goodness 
to  tell  me  —  " 

Here  the  questions  broke  off  abruptly. 

And  turned  to,  — 


Bruce.     "  Hallo  I  " 
Foremost  Figure. 
Bruce.  } 

Foremost  Figure.  S 


"  Why  !     What's  this  I " 
<'  Dr.  Porter  111" 
"  Bruce  Rawdon  ! ! ! " 


For  a  few   moments   both  parties  were   over- 


jUW 

"11 

>lljl 

■"1 

'    ?■■ 

!» 


•  i  i: 


i 

.  •  ■ 

u 

•  ^  t  n 

222 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PUt   SCHOOL. 


\t' 


!' 


'til 


whelmed  with  utter  bewilderment  and  a  total 
prostration  of  all  their  faculties.  This  amazing 
and  incomprehensible  reunion  of  those  who  had 
parted  five  hours  ago  in  the  wild  woods,  by  the 
lofty  precipice  and  the  thundering  surf,  going  in 
exactly  opposite  directions,  yet  coming  together  in 
darkness  and  fog,  was  a  tiling  which  might  well 
reduce  them  to  complete  stupefaction. 

Then  there  arose  a  general  uproar  of  questions, 
each  party  asking  the  other  where  they  had  been, 
and  where  they  supposed  themselves  to  be  now, 
raid  where  they  thought  they  were  going. 

"  This  is  a  most  incomprehensible  thing  !  "  said 
the  doctor. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  on  the  road,  sir  ?  " 

"  Not  over  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  Have  you  been  in  the  woods  all  the  time  ?  " 

"  Yes,  walking  steadily  in  this  direction." 

"  And  could  you  manage  to  keep  a  straight 
course  ?  " 

"  0,  yes." 

"  You  didn't  walk  along  the  cliff — did  you,  sir  ?  " 

"  0,  no." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  managed  to  go  on  straight 
when  you  were  in  the  woods." 

"  0,  I  managed  by  my  eye,"  said  the  doctor, 
calmly.  "  I  also  tried  to  coi  rect  that  tendency  to 
swerve  to  the  right  that  you  spoke  of,  and  I  think 
1  succeeded.  You  see,  I  found  I  was  very  much 
farther  away  from  Hall's  Harbor  than  I  supposed. 


■'I! 
ijl 


THE  doctor's   opinions. 


223 


In  fact,  your  conjecturo  must  have  been  right,  and 
we  were  nearer  Scott's  Bay  by  a  great  deal  than  we 
were  to  HalPs  Harbor.  We  had  swerved  very  much 
to  the  right.  As  I  went  on  I  became  convinced  of 
this,  and  tried  constantly  and  most  carefully  to 
guard  against  it.  1  succeeded  therefore  in  going 
almost  in  a  perfectly  straight  line.  But  our  march 
was  a  very  fatiguing  one,  I  must  confess.  It  grew 
dark,  too,  and  we  were  just  on  the  point  of  giving 
up,  when  we  came  to  a  pasture  field,  and  then  found 
the  road.  We  didn't  see  any  houses  near,  and 
couldn't  find  how  far  away  any  house  might  be. 
At  first  I  thought  of  going  to  Hall's  Harbor,  but 
finally  I  concluded  to  turn  to  the  left,  and  go  on 
towards  Cornwallis.  But  you,  how  did  you  happen 
to  lose  your  course  so  completely  ?  Why,  you've 
made  a  complete  circle.  You  must  have  been 
turning  to  the  right  ever  since  you  left.  You've 
got  into  the  Hall's  Harbor  road,  and  are  now  walk- 
ing straight  towards  Hall's  Harbor.  What  a  most 
extraordinary  and  most  absurd  situation  I  I 
wouldn't  have  believed  this  to  be  possible,  had  it 
not  been  first  for  my  own  mistake  to-day,  and  now 
for  this  one  of  yours.  But  it  seems  to  me,  Bruce, 
that  your  circle  has  been  more  complete  than  mine 
was.  What  a  tremendous  march  you  must  have 
made ! " 

Bruce  for  a  few  mihutes  said  nothing.  The 
doctor's  quiet  way  of  informing  him  about  his 
situation  bewildered  him  more  than  the  first  dis- 


■IJ 


!» 


?i 


:i\ 


224 


THE   BOYS   OP   GllANI)    PR^  SCHOOL. 


r 


covory  hud  doiio.  A  "  tromondouH  "  circuit  it  must 
iiidood  liav(5  been.  How  liiid  they  muiuiged  to  go 
80  fant,  and  reach  tlie  road  before  the  doctor's 
party  ?  It  niuwt  liave  been  that  chase  after  Pat 
wliich  put  them  astray.  After  that  they  had  lost 
all  idea  of  their  way,  and  had  wandered  on  bhndly, 
not  knowing  where  they  were  going,  and  for  that 
matter  not  caring  very  much,  either. 

"  But  arc  you  sure  that  this  is  the  Hall's  Harbor 
road?  "  he  asked  at  length. 

"  Why,  yes  —  of  course  it  is.  It  ought  to  bo  — 
we've  come  far  enough  to  get  to  it.  What  did  you 
think  it  was  ?  " 

"  Why,  we  thought  it  was  the  Scott's  Bay 
road.'* 

"  The  Scott's  Bay  road  1 "  cried  the  doctor,  and 
burst  into  a  hearty  fit  of  laughter. 

"  Well,  pir,"  said  Bruce,  "  to  tell  the  truth,  we 
got  utterly  lost.  Pat  began  chasing  a  porcupine, 
and  we  chased  Pat,  and  followed  him  wherever  he 
went.  At  last  we  lost  him.  So  then  we  didn't 
think  about  reaching  the  road  at  all,  but  only 
about  finding  him.  We  went  on  in  the  direction 
which  ho  seemed  to  have  taken,  and  so  we  came 
to  this  road.  It  was  the  porcupine  that  led  us 
here. 

"  The  porcupine,"  said  the  doctor ;  and  he  ap- 
peared po  amused  at  this  idea,  that  Bruce  had  to 
tell  him  the  whole  story. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  the  doctor,  thoughtfully,  after 


m 
I 


A  FUESII  START. 


225 


hearing  this  Rtory,  "  what  you  ought  to  havo  douo 
Ib  thin  :  You  ought  at  all  hazards  to  have  followed 
the  lino  of  the  cliff.  Tliat  would  have  brouglit  you 
to  Scott's  Bay  in  a  little  more  than  an  hour.  You 
could  then  havo  gone  to  tho  house  where  the 
horses  were  left,  and  by  this  time  you  would  havo 
been  in  comfortable  quarters,  pitying  us  poor 
wanderers." 

"  Well,"  said  Bruce,  "  wo  tried  to  keep  close  by 
the  clift",  but  it  ran  off  in  such  a  direction  that  wo 
left  it,  and  went  in  what  wo  thought  a  truer  course." 

"  Ha,  ha  I  "  laughed  tho  doctor.  "  That  is  always 
tho  way.  The  clilf  was  right,  but  you  were  wrong. 
The  cliff  did  not  turn  away  from  you,  but  you 
turned  away  from  the  cliff.  It  was  all  that  fatal 
tendency  to  turn  to  the  right.  Now,  I  was  on  my 
guard ;  but  you,  who  gave  me  that  warning,  forgot 
all  about  it  yourself.  But  come,  it  won't  do  to 
stand  here  all  night  talking.  We  are  now  about 
half  way  over  the  mountain.  We  ought  soon  to 
begin  to  descend  towards  Cornwallis.  There's  a 
man  who  lives  on  this  road  that  I'm  acquainted 
with, — a  Mr.  Smalley, — and  his  house  can't  be  very 
far  away.  We  can  get  something  to  eat  there  at 
least,  and  accommodations  for  the  night.  But  I 
prefer  getting  wagons  and  driving  over  to  where 
we  left  our  own  conveyances.  However,  we  can 
see  about  that  when  we  get  to  Smalley's." 

The  whole  party  now  walked  on,  and  the  boys 
mingled  with  one  another,  questioning  each  other 
15 


•» 


Hi': 


n^ 


226 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


is^j 


about  the  journey.  The  doctor^s  party  had  suf- 
fered fearfully.  They  were  all  foot-sore,  and  their 
clothes  were  badly  torn.  They  had  gone  through 
swamps  and  brushwood,  and  over  stones  and  fallen 
trees.  They  were  fearfully  fatigued,  and  were 
now  only  sustained  by  the  prospect  of  soon  reach- 
ing the  end  of  their  journey.  All  this  was  a  great 
puzzle  to  Bruce's  party,  who  were  not  nearly  so 
fatigued ;  and  they  couldn't  understand  how  they 
could  have  gone  so  much  farther  than  the  doctor's 
party  without  feeling  so  worn  out  as  their  friends 
were.  They  attributed  this,  however,  first  to  the 
fact  that  the  doctor  had  gone  in  one  perfectly 
straight  course,  regardless  of  obstacles ;  and  second- 
ly, to  the  other  fact,  that  their  journey  had  been 
beguiled  by  Pat's  adventure  with  the  porcupine, 
which  first  afforded  them  amusement,  and  after- 
wards, when  he  was  lost,  created  such  an  excite- 
ment that  they  forgot  their  toils. 

After  walking  some  distance  farther,  the  road,  to 
their  great  delight,  began  to  descend. 

"  We're  going  down  to  Cornwallis,"  said  the 
doctor,  joyously.  "  We're  very  much  farther  on 
than  I  supposed.  We  are  evidently  far  beyond 
Smalley's.  I  see  how  it  is.  In  my  anxiety  to  avoid 
swerving  to  the  right,  I  have  fallen,  as  you  said, 
Bruce,  into  the  opposite  extreme,  and  have  actually 
swer>  ^d  to  the  left.  That  accounts  for  the  im- 
mense length  of  our  journey.  Well,  now  that  it's 
over,  I'm  glad  that  it  happened  so.    It  brings  us  all 


i  I 


NEW   DOUBTS. 


227 


the  nearer  to  our  destination.  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill  lives  Mr.  Atkins,  who  will  give  us  far  better  ac- 
commodation than  Smalley.  One  mile  more,  boys, 
only  one  mile,  and  then  we'll  have  rest." 

The  doctor's  encouraging  words  cheered  all  the 
boys,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  actually  descend- 
ing the  hill,  and  were  thus  every  moment  drawing 
nearer  to  their  destination,  had  an  additional  in- 
fluence in  giving  them  fresh  energy. 

So  they  descended  farther  and  farther,  and  now 
kept  on  the  lookout  more  vigilantly  than  ever  for 
the  welcome  lights  of  some  houses. 

"It's  a  long  descent,"  said  the  doctor,  "but 
every  step  is  bringing  us  nearer  to  Atkins's;  so 
keep  your  courage  up,  boys,  for  we'll  soon  be 
there  now." 

On  they  went,  and  descended  lower  and  lower, 
till  at  last  they  seemed  to  have  reached  the  plain, 
for  the  road  became  level,  and  went  on  straight, 
without  any  more  windings. 

At  length  there  appeared  a  faint  light  not  far 
away  on  the  left. 

"  That  must  be  Atkins's,"  said  the  doctor.  "  But 
how  very  thick  the  fog  is  even  here  I  I  never  knew 
it  so  thick  in  Cornwallis.  And  the  air  is  just  like 
that  of  the  sea-shore.  It  is  very  seldom  that  it  is 
so  on  this  side  of  the  mountain.'^ 

"  I  suppose  it's  the  strong  southerly  wind,"  said 
Bart. 

"  Yes,  I  dare  say." 


I;: 


I' 


;s'» 


IN' 


J'.  M 

-■'  u 

tk    ■    .;  : 

-     J  •    '  -,  ■ 

; 

i  h  ■  •!" 

W- 

^ii 

. 

228 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


r'' 


til 


!''    li 


"  The  wind  seems  to  strike  us  here  from  a  very 
odd  direction.  It  must  come  across  the  Basin  of 
Minas.     It's  just  as  though  it  came  from  the  east." 

"  0,  we  can't  tell."  said  the  doctor.  "  This  road 
winds  so  that  we  get  it  sometimes  in  our  faces,  and 
sometimes  in  our  backs." 

"  It  must  be  after  nine,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor  ;  "  and  I  dare  say  we've 
passed  several  houses  on  the  road.  The  people 
here  are  not  very  liberal  in  tho  use  of  candles. 
They  sit  around  the  kitchen  fire  till  about  nine 
o'clock,  and  then  go  to  bed.  That's  the  reason 
why  we  have  not  seen  any  lights.  There  must  be 
quite  a  number  of  houses  along  here." 

By  this  time  they  had  come  in  front  of  the 
house.  It  stood  about  a  dozen  yards  from  the 
road.  The  light  proceeded  from  a  small,  lower 
window.  The  house  was  only  a  cottage,  and  the 
dim  outline  of  a  barn  could  be  seen  a  little 
farther  on. 

"  This  does  not  look  like  Atkins's,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, after  he  had  scanned  the  cottage  and  the  barn. 
"  Atkins's  is  very  much  larger  than  this,  and  is  a 
different  looking  place  altogether.  I  don't  think 
we  can  have  passed  it.  No,  it  must  be  farther  on. 
At  any  rate,  wo  can  ask  here,  and  they  can  tell  us 
exactly  how  far  we  have  yet  to  go.  I'm  sorry  it 
isn't  Atkins's,  though,  for  I  fully  expected  to  be 
there.     Besides,  we  all  want  rest." 

The  doctor  looked  once  more  at  the  house,  and 


'   I 


THE  DOUBTS  INCREASE. 


229 


then  at  the  barn.  As  they  stood  there,  thus  look- 
ing in  silence,  there  came  to  their  ears  a  very 
peculiar  sound,  which  made  every  one  start. 

It  was  a  long,  rolling  sound,  made  up  of  the  rush 
of  many  waters,  such  as  can  be  heard  nowhere  else 
but  upon  the  sea-shore  —  that  peculiar  noise  of 
gathering  floods,  such  as  is  heard  when  the  sea 
throws  forth  its  waves  towards  the  land,  to  curl 
up,  foaming,  and  break  upon  the  strand.  Here  it 
arose  amid  this  darkness,  —  that  peculiar,  that  un- 
mistakable sound, —  with  its  gathering  waters, 
its  foam,  its  roll,  and  its  crash  as  the  uplifted 
waters  broke,  —  the  sound  that  can  be  made  by 
the  surf,  and  the  surf  alone. 

But  what  did  it  mean  ? 

What  was  the  meaning  of  the  surf  breaking  thus 
upon  the  inner  side  of  the  North  Mountain,  far  in- 
land, on  the  plains  of  Cornwallis  ? 

Were  the  dikes  broken  down  ?  Was  this  some 
flood  pouring  in  over  the  country  to  overwhelm 
them  ?  Was  the  raging  sea  now  rolling,  in  undis- 
turbed possession  of  its  ancient  bed,  over  all  the 
green  valleys  of  this  lately  smiling  plain?  Was 
there  the  terrific  visitation  of  a  deluge  here  in  this 
peaceful  country  ?  and  were  all  the  people  now  fly- 
ing  from  the  horrors  of  an  inundation  ? 

What  did  it  mean  ? 

Up  to  this  moment  there  had  not  been  a  doubt  in 
the  minds  of  any  of  them  that  they  were  near 
Atkins's,  somewhere  in  Cornwallis,  on  the  Hall's 


4 


Iff'  ' 


!» 


ij\- 


i 


t 


230 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


L;f  ill 


'ill 


m 


•!  i 


Harbor  road.  The  doctor's  quiet  positiveness,  the 
perfect  certainty  with  which  he  had  spoken,  and 
the  minute  acquaintance  which  he  seemed  to  have 
with  every  part  of  their  past  and  present  journey, 
all  conspired  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the 
boys  the  very  idea  of  their  possible  locality  which 
was  in  his  own  mind ;  and  thus  it  happened  that  it 
was  while  they  fully  believed  themselves  entering 
upon  a  wide  plain  that  they  suddenly  heard  the 
thunder  of  tJie  surf  upon  the  shore. 

The  doctor  heard  this  as  plainly  as  any  of  them, 
of  course,  and  all  the  thoughts  which  came  to  them 
came  to  him  also  none  the  less  vividly.  But  he 
said  not  a  single  word.  He  stood  mute,  and  waited 
for  a  few  moments  longer,  as  though  doubting  the 
evidence  of  his  senses. 

Once  more  the  sound  arose.  The  waters  gath- 
ered themselves  together,  they  rolled  forward,  they 
heaped  themselves  upward,  they  foamed,  and  then 
they  broke  upon  the  shore.  Thus,  wave  after 
wave,  the  surf  came  on,  and  spoke  of  the  presence 
of  the  sea  I 

It  was  enough. 

"  I  don't  know  where  in  the  world  we  have  got 
to,"  ejaculated  the  doctor,  at  last. 

"  It  can't  be  Cornwallis,"  said  Bruce. 

"  We  must  be  on  the  shore  of  Minas  Basin,'^  said 
Bogud. 

"  I  think  it's  Pereau,"  said  Bart. 

"  I  don't  know  where  it  is,"  said  the  doctor ; 


.1  1' 


1 
! 


THE  NIGHT   CALL. 


231 


"  but,  Bruce,  1  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  you  should 
prove  right  a  second  time.  But  the  best  way  is 
to  go  and  ask." 

Saying  this,  the  doctor  hurried  to  the  door  uf  the 
cottage.  As  they  drew  near,  a  strong  smell  of  fish 
arose,  and  formed  a  new  and  striking  proof  of  the 
presence  of  the  sea.  Reaching  the  door,  the  doc- 
tor knocked  loudly,  and  all  the  boys  gathered 
round  to  hear  the  result  of  his  inquiry,  and  learn 
their  fate. 

At  first  there  was  no  response. 

The  doctor  knocked  again. 

Footsteps  were  now  heard,  and  a  voice  cried 
out,  — 

"  Who's  there  ?  " 

"Friends,"  said  the  doctor.  "We've  lost  our 
way,  and  want  to  find  it." 

"  Go  round  to  the  back  door  ;  this'n  won't  open," 
said  the  voice. 

At  this  they  turned  away  to  look  for  the  back 
door,  wondering,  as  they  went,  what  the  occupant 
of  the  house  supposed  a  front  door  was  made  for. 
It  seemed  to  them  like  stories  which  they  had  read 
of  some  Dutch  villages,  where  the  people  are  so 
excessively  neat  that  the  "  front  door  "  and  the 
"  best  room  "  are  never  used  except  on  two  great 
occasions ;  one  being  a  marriage,  and  the  other  a 
burial.  At  all  other  times  the  back  door  and  the 
back  rooms  are  used. 

So  to  this  back  door  they  tried  to  wc/k  their 


u 


232 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


V 


way  round  the  house.  As  they  went  round,  the 
smell  of  decayed  fish  came  up  more  strong-ly,  more 
overpoweringly,  and  more  impressively  than  ever. 
Evidently  the  people  of  the  cottage  had  something 
to  do  with  fish.  They  either  caught  them,  or 
traded  in  them,  or  cured  them.  Who  were  they  ? 
Was  it  Pereau  —  or  was  it  —  what  ? 

Turning  the  house,  the  fresh  wind  came  upon 
them,  driving  against  them  the  dense  fog  clouds, 
and  hiding  everything  before  them  from  view. 
But  through  that  gloom  there  swept  upon  their 
hearing  a  recurrence  of  the  solemn  boom  of  the 
surf  which  had  startled  them  a  few  moments  before, 
when  they  first  paused  to  look  at  the  cottage. 
There  it  came,  the  sound  of  the  gathering  waters, 
rising  gradually,  breaking,  and  flinging  the  roar  of 
the  falling  waters  far  away  along  the  shore. 

Here  they  were,  then,  by  the  sea ;  here  the  surf 
rolled ;  here  were  the  signs  of  fish.  Evidently 
these  people  were  fishermen,  and  their  life  was  on 
the  ocean  wave.  Suddenly  they  encountered  some 
large  object  which  was  right  in  their  way. 
Through  the  gloom  they  could  see  the  outline  of  a 
whaling  boat,  that  is,  a  boat  sharp  at  both  ends, 
which  is  often  used  by  fishermen  in  these  waters. 
This  excited  no  surprise,  however.  It  only  con- 
firmed what  had  been  told  them  by  the  booming 
surf  and  the  odors  wafted  from  the  decaying  fish. 

On  reaching  the  rear  of  the  house  they  found 
the  aforsaid  back  door  wide  open,  and  a  man  stand 


SCOTT'S  BAY. 


233 


ing  in  the  doorway,  with  a  candle  in  one  hand  and 
a  pipe  in  the  other.  The  candle  flared,  and  flick- 
ered, and  sputtered  in  the  wind  and  fog ;  and  he 
was  blinking  through  the  darkness,  and  trying  to 
catch  a  ghmpse  of  his  visitors. 

He  was  a  short,  thick-set,  red-faced  man,  with 
whiskers  running  all  round  in  a  "  sea  dog  "  sort  of 
fashion,  checked  shirt,  and  canvas  trousers,  which 
bore  numerous  marks  made  by  tar.  His  waistcoat 
was  unbuttoned,  so  as  to  give  free  play  to  the 
organs  of  his  manly  chest.  He  had  no  coat,  and, 
for  that  matter,  no  boots.  In  point  of  fact,  he  was 
in  his  stocking  feet.  His  grizzled  hair  and  beard 
showed  him  to  belong  to  the  elderly  class  of  man- 
kind ;  but  his  stout,  sturdy  frame  and  bluff  coun- 
tenance exhibits .  no  decay  of  strength. 

"  Lost  yer  way  ?  "  said  he,  as  he  caught  sight  of 
them.  "  Wal,  come  in,  any  how.  We'll  talk  it  over. 
Walk  in,  all  on  yo,  the  whole  fifty  of  ye,  for  that 
matter.  Ole  Bennie  Grigg  can  find  room  for  ye. 
Walk  in,  walk  in." 

"  But  where  are  we  ?  "  asked  the  doctor.  "  What 
place  is  this  ?  " 

"  What  place  ?  Haw,  haw,  haw  1  Wliat  I  don't 
you  even  know  the  place  ?  Haw,  haw,  haw  1  Why, 
this  here  place  is  Scott's  Bay  1 " 


W 


'I ' 


i!j.a'lLSJ"!-'!'J.iI 


234 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


XVII. 


i   < 


i 


Old  Bennie  and  Mrs.  Bennie.  —  Old-fashioned  Hos- 
pitality. —  What  old  Bennie  was  able  to  spreads 
before  his  famished  Guests.  —  A  Night  on  a  Hay- 
mow.  —  A  secluded  Village.  —  A  Morning  Walk. 
—  Behind  Time.  —  Hurrah,  Boys  I 

COTT'S   BAY  I 

The  emotions  of  the  doctor  and  all  his 
party,  on  hearing  that  name,  can  better  bo 
imagined  than  described.  At  first  they  could 
scarcely  believe  it;  but  finally,  seeing  that  they 
knew  nothing  at  all  about  it,  and  that  Bennie 
Grigg,  as  he  called  himself,  might  be  supposed  to 
know  where  he  was  living,  they  were  forced  to 
admit  the  truth  of  the  amazing  statement.  But 
Bennie  gave  them  no  time  for  wonder.  He  forced 
them  all  to  come  in,  and  ushered  them  into  a  Jarge 
room,  where  a  bright  wood  fire  was  blazing  upon 
an  ample  hearth.  Here  his  wife  received  the  un- 
expected guests.  She  was  a  quiet,  quaint,  com- 
fortable body,  fit  helpmeet  for  Bennie,  and  received 
them  in  the  most  cordial  manner.  With  the  true 
spirit  of  hospitality,  Bennie  forbore  from  asking 


THE  SUPPER. 


235 


!  > 


any  question,  but  devoted  his  whole  energies 
towards  making  his  guests  comfortable.  He  pulled 
forward  an  old-fashioned  settee,  drew  forth  the 
quaint,  old,  high-backed  chairs,  and  soon  had  a 
circle  of  seats  arranged  around  the  fire,  where  all 
could  be  accommodated.  After  this  his  wife  spread 
the  cloth  over  a  large  table,  and  began  to  make 
preparations  for  a  repast. 

"  Ye'll  be  fairly  starving  ?  "  said  Bennie  to  the 
doctor,  interrogatively. 

The  doctor  acknowledged  that  they  were 
hungry,  but  begged  Bennie  not  to  put  himself 
out.  Bread,  and  butter,  and  milk  were  all  tnat 
they  wanted. 

At  this  Bennie  laughed,  and  Mrs.  Bennie  laughed 
also,  and  the  latter  busied  herself  in  getting  ready 
the  repast. 

While  Mrs.  Bennie  was  thus  employed,  Mr.  Ben- 
nie assisted  her,  and,  at  the  same  time,  urged  his 
guests  to  make  themselves  comfortable.  So  they 
talked  with  one  another  around  the  fire,  and  at 
length  relapsed  into  silence.  The  fact  is,  they 
were  all  awfully  hungry. 

At  last  the  table  was  spread. 

And  such  a  spread  I 

0,  ye  farmers  of  Cornwallis !  ye  fishermen  of 
Scott's  Bay  !  Are  there,  indeed,  other  farmers  and 
other  fishermen  on  this  terrestrial  ball  that  can 
make  extemporaneous  spreads  like  yours?  I 
doubt  it. 


!« 


■:■•    ■: 


236 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND   PR6   SCHOOL. 


<' 


For  hero  Bennie  and  hia  wife  spread  out 
Broiled  salmon, 
Ham  and  eggs, 
Mealy  potatoes, 
Cream  cheese, 
Tea, 
Coffee, 
Cream, 
Apple  sauce. 
Broiled  chicken, 
Mince  pies, 
Apple  pies. 
Cold  corn  beef, 
Cold  roast  beef, 
Cold  fillet  of  veal, 
Fresh  bread. 
Hot  rolls. 
Pickles, 
Cold  ham. 
Chow-chow, 
Tomato  ketchup. 
Ginger  pop. 
Currant  wine. 
Cranberry  preserves, 
Plum  preserves, 
Quince  preserves. 
Cake, 
Bacon, 

Smoked  herrings, 
Alewives, 


EXPLANATIONS. 


237 


!i  H 


Finnen  baddies, 

Salad, 

Buckwheat  pancakes, 

Mushroom  ketchup, 

Pickled  oysters. 

Maple  honey, 

Johnny  cakes, 
and  various  other  articles  of  a  minor  character. 

All  of  which  the  starving  wayfarers  attacked 
with  ravenous  appetites,  while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ben- 
nie  looked  on  with  faces  that  beamed  all  over  with 
inexpressible  gratification. 

It  was  not' until  the  first  cravings  of  hunger 
were  satisfied  that  Bennie  ventured  to  speak  to 
his  guests  about  their  wanderings.  The  doctor 
then  told  him  all. 

In  the  full  discussion  that  followed  the  whole 
thing  was  made  plain,  and  their  wanderings  were 
all  accounted  for. 

In  the  first  place,  it  was  seen  that  Bruce's  party, 
in  spite  of  their  carelessness,  and  of  their  chase  after 
Pat,  had  actually  reached  the  point  at  which  they 
had  aimed,  viz.,  the  Scott's  Bay  road,  and  were  on 
their  way  to  the  place  where  the  horses  were  kept, 
when  the  doctor  met  them  and  turned  them  back. 
Secondly,  the  doctor's  wanderings  with  his  party 
now  became  intelligible. 

He  had  set  out  with  the  idea  in  his  mind  of 
avoiding  that  fatal  tendency  to  swerve  to  the  right 
of  which  Bruce  had  spoken. 


m 


!* 


•• '\M' 


• ::   ■ 


238  THE   BOYS  OP  GRAND   Pilk  SCHOOL. 


\t' 


But  against  this  he  had  guarded  po  carefully, 
that  it  had  led  to  a  swerving  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, as  he  himself  had  already  partially  acknowl- 
edged. That  is  to  say,  he  had  steadily  swerved 
to  the  left. 

The  consequence  was,  that  he  had  led  his  follovr- 
ers  over  a  long  and  fatiguing  journey,  in  a  com- 
plete circle,  until  at  last  he  had  actually  brougiit 
them  into  the  Scott's  Bay  road.  But  he,  thinking 
he  had  gone  in  an  exact  straight  line,  supposed  it 
to  be  the  Hall's  Harbor  road.  As  he  wished  to  go 
to  Cornwallis,  he  had,  therefore,  turned  to  the  left, 
and  gone  forward  under  this  false  idea,  and  thus 
had  met  Bruce's  party,  who  were  going  in  the 
proper  direction.  He  had  made  them  turn  back 
with  him,  and  had  thus  led  them  to  Scott's  Bay, 
never  imagining  that  he  could  be  wrong  until  that 
awful  moment  when  the  ominous  roar  of  the  surf 
showed  him  that  he  must  be  very  far  away  from 
where  he  supposed  himself  to  be. 

Old  Bennie  laughed  loud  and  long  as  he  listened 
to  the  story  of  their  wanderings,  and  his  laughter 
struck  pleasantly  and  cheerily  upon  their  ears.  For 
they  had  all  been  refreshed  by  the  generous  repa8t 
which  their  host  had  spread  before  them,  and  a 
new  life  had  arisen  within  them.  .Their  past  wan- 
derings were  now  nothing  more  than  amusing  rem- 
iniscences. The  table  lay  before  them  with  its 
bounteous  store  ;  beside  them  the  big  broad  hearth 
sustained  its  load  of  crackling  fire  logs,  among 


A  night's  rest. 


23!i 


Hi 


vvliicli  tlio  flames  danced  and  leaped  up  merrily; 
and  there  was  in  the  broad  old-faahioned  apart- 
ment a  certain  joyous  and  social  atmosphere, 
beneath  whose  influence  all  their  natures  re- 
laxed into  a  kindly  and  genial  glow.  And  thus 
it  came  to  pass  that  the  repast  afibrded  a  full 
and  complete  compensation  for  all  the  toils  of 
the  day. 

They  slept  that  night  variously.  The  doctor  had 
a  room  to  himself.  The  settee  formed  a  bed  on 
which  Jiggins  and  Bogud  reposed.  Sammy  and 
Johnny  Blue  slumbered  on  straw  beds  stretched  on 
the  floor.  As  for  the  rest,  they  slept  in  the  barn, 
on  the  hay,  which  they  preferred  to  anything 
which  the  house  could  offer.  Bennie  tried  to  tempt 
them  with  various  mattresses  spread  over  the 
kitchen  floor;  but  they  chose  the  haymow,  and 
Bennie  himself  finally  declared  that  such  a  choice 
showed  their  sense. 

The  next  morning  came.  They  all  arose  re- 
freshed. The  fog  had  all  cleared  away,  the  sun 
shone  brightly,  and  all  the  scene  were  displayed 
before  their  eyes. 

They  found  Scott's  Bay  village  to  be  a  place  of 
about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  who  lived  chiefly 
by  fishing,  to  which  they  added  farming.  There 
was  also  a  ship-yard  here,  which  occasionally,  in  a 
busy  season,  added  largely  to  the  population.  The 
houses  were  generally  neat,  and  situated  along  the 
ruad. 


ri  1 


I ,     I 


!i 


:1. 


•'.  1: 


i'l. 

■ « ' 


240 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


M 


All  around  the  scenery  was  magnificent.  The 
bay  was  a  small  indentation  behind  Blomidon, 
formed  by  a  long,  projecting  spur  oi  the  North 
Mountain,  which  ran  on  one  sido  of  the  Straits  of 
Minas,  and  terminated  in  those  rugged  and  sublime 
fragments  of  shattered  and  storm-riven  rock  that 
give  to  that  point  the  name  of  Cape  Split.  The 
beach  was  a  long  crescent,  that  extended  for  about 
two  miles,  and  was  bounded  at  either  extremity  by 
lofty  precipices.  Before  it  lay  the  blue  waters  of 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  with  the  long  precipitous  line 
of  coast  on  either  side ;  and  immediately  in  front, 
though  many  miles  away,  rose  a  solitary  island, 
with  perpendicular  sides  and  flat  summit,  known  by 
the  name  of  He  Haute,  both  to  the  old  Acadians, 
who  thus  named  it,  and  to  their  English  succes- 
sors. 

That  day  was  Sunday,  and  they  had  to  remain  in 
the  village.  The  doctor,  however,  found  occupa- 
tion. There  was  no  clergyman  stationed  here,  but 
there  was  a  little  chapel,  where  services  were  held 
about  once  a  month.  Here  he  performed  the  duties 
of  his  sacred  office,  and  the  villagers,  hearing  of 
his  arrival,  turned  out  in  force.  The  doctor  had  a 
crowded  house,  and  was  so  gratified  by  their  attend- 
ance in  the  morning,  and  so  touched  by  their  quiet 
but  earnest  attention,  that  he  held  forth  again  in 
the  afternoon. 

As  to  the  mistake  that  the  doctor  Lad  made,  he 
acknowledged  it  in  the  handsomest  manner.     In 


THE  DOCTOR^S  ADVICE. 


241 


the  presence  of  all  the  boys,  he  said  that  Bruce 
had  been  right,  and  he  had  been  wrong.  He  ac- 
knowledged his  ignorance  of  the  woods,  and  ad- 
vised them,  if  they  ever  again  went  roaming  through 
the  forest,  never  to  trust  to  the  guidance  of  a 
doctor  of  divinity.  He  felt  that  he  might  be  of 
some  small  service  in  guiding  them  through  figura- 
tive forests,  —  in  pointing  out  the  true  way  through 
that  "  obscure  wood  "  by  which  Dante  once  symbol- 
ized this  world  of  man,  —  but  as  to  ever  again 
leading  them,  or  having  anything  to  do  with  them 
in  any  literal,  material  wood,  he  begged  to  be 
excused ;  and  he  also  advised  them  not  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  him.  He  praised  them  all  for 
their  patient  endurance  in  following  him,  and  hoped 
finally  that  they  would  look  back  upon  this  adven- 
ture with  such  pleasant  memories  that  all  the 
troubles  that  they  had  endured  would  be  for- 
gotten. 

On  the  ^tiier  hand,  every  one  of  the  boys  de- 
clared that  they  had  had  a  most  delightful  time, 
and  that  they  would  not  want  a  better  leader  than 
the  doctor ;  all  of  which  showed  plainly  that  the 
toil  and  trouble  of  these  wanderings  had  already 
been  forgotten  in  the  peace  and  pleasure  which 
had  marked  their  journey's  end. 

There  remained  now  the  consideration  of  their 

homeward  journey.     On  Saturday  night  the  doctor 

had  spoken  to  Bennie  about  it,  and  Bennie  said  he 

would  see  about  getting  conveyances  for  them  as 

16 


li 


s  •■■ 


'I 


ip  ■ 


242 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRife  SCHOOL. 


« 

,  i 

f    I 
J 

i  ■ 

1 
1 

i 

1 

i 

I 

1 

.      ! 
1 

« 

1 

j 

i 
i 

far  as  the  place  where  the  doctor^s  horses  had  been 
left.  But  the  doctor  refused  to  let  him  make  any  ar. 
rangements  on  Sunday.  As  he  wished  to  be  bacK 
at  Grand  Pr^  on  Monday  in  time  to  begin  the 
school,  he  saw  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  get 
Bennie's  conveyances  without  breaking  the  Sab- 
bath. But  he  couldn't  do  this.  So  there  was 
only  one  alternative ;  and  that  was,  to  start  very 
early  on  Monday  morning,  and  walk  to  the  place 
where  the  horses  were.  This  he  determined 
to  do. 

So,  on  Monday  morning,  at  four,  they  all  rose, 
and  after  partaking  of  a  substantial  breakfast,  they 
bade  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennie  an  affectionate  farewell, 
and  departed.  It  was  about  five  before  they  left. 
It  was  past  seven  when  they  reached  their  destina- 
tion. The  doctor  found  the  horses  and  wagons  all 
safe  ;  but  it  took  some  time  to  feed  the  former,  and 
it  was  after  eight  o'clock  before  they  were  able 
to  start. 

Then  they  drove  home  as  fast  as  they  could. 

They  arrived  at  the  hill  at  about  eleven.  But 
the  hour  for  commencing  school  was  nine.  The 
doctor's  family  and  Messrs.  Simmons  and  Long  were 
quite  anxious  about  the  absentees.  The  school 
had  not  been  opened.  They  were  waiting  for  the 
return  of  the  wanderers. 

And  thus,  when  the  wanderers  at  length  re- 
turned, they  found  that  their  delay  had  resulted  in 
giving  them  an  additional  holiday. 


ANOTHER   HOLIDAY. 


243 


For  the  school  could  not  begin  on  that  day. 
That  was  evident. 

And  thus  they  found  themselves  blessed  with 
another  reprieve  from  study. 

Hurrah,  boys  I 


■(^ 


i 


i 


'!>•*, 


'V 


•I    •:' 


244 


THE  BOYS  OF  GEAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


\*' 


XVIII. 

Great  Excitement.  —  What  is  it  ?  —  Pat  busy  among 
the  small  Boys.  —  A  great  Supper,  and  a  sudden 
Interruption.  —  The  Midnight  Knell.  —  General 
Uproar.  —  Flight  of  the  Grand  Panjandrum.  — 
A  solemn  Time.  —  In  the  Dark.  —  Bold  Explor- 
ers. —  The  Cupolaj  and  the  Abyss  beneath.  —  The 
Discovery. 


i 

••I :  I 


^HAT  afternoon  Pat  was  very  busy  among 
the  smaller  boys.  He  asked  them  many 
questions  about  the  noise  in  the  attic,  and 
found  there  was  great  terror  among  them.  For 
the  noises  had  been  heard  both  on  Saturday  night 
and  Sunday  night  by  those  who  were  in  that  build- 
ing ;  and  they  were  so  terrified  that  they  would 
not  have  staid  there  a  third  night  if  the  other 
boys  had  not  come  back.  A  superstitious  awe  had 
settled  down  deep  into  their  minds,  and  they  con- 
versed with  one  another  on  this  subject  in  subdued 
whispers. 

Pat  found  them  in  this  condition,  and  managed 
tc  make  them  still  more  terrified  before  he  left 
them.     Some  of  them  were  anxious  to  tell  one  of 


>  m 


THE   OLD   TERROR. 


245 


the  teachers  about  it  all ;  but  Pat  dissuaded  them 
by  declaring  that  it  would  be  of  no  use,  and  that 
they  would  only  be  laughed  at  for  their  pains. 

Many  of  the  other  boys  also,  on  coming  back, 
felt  a  return  of  their  former  fear,  and  looked  for- 
ward to  the  approach  of  night  with  some  uneasi- 
ness. Pat  made  himself  quite  busy  with  these 
boys,  too ;  and  although  he  said  nothing  very  di- 
rectly, yet  he  made  many  mysterious  hints  that 
implied  a  great  deal.  He  alluded  to  his  own  fear- 
ful position,  with  his  bed  in  that  very  garret,  sep- 
arated by  only  a  board  partition  from  the  dark 
haunts  of  the  mystery.  He  spoke  of  his  past  ex- 
perience ;  and  it  seemed  as  though,  if  he  only 
chose,  he  could  easily  unfold  a  tale  whose  light- 
est word  would  harrow  up  their  souls.  Only  he 
didn't.  The  boys  begged  him  to  tell  all.  But 
Pat  wouldn't.  He  shook  his  head  with  deep  and 
solemn  meaning.  And  the  boys  looked  on  him  with 
a  profoTinder  awe.  And  Pat,  when  he  went  up  to 
his  haunted  chamber,  was  regarded  as  some  poor 
victim  on  his  way  to  his  doom. 

Pat,  however,  was  not  regarded  in  this  light  by 
all.  Some  there  were  who  held  aloof  from  this 
feeling  of  awe.  Among  these  was  Bart,  who  could 
not  help  noticing  Pat's  movements,  and  was  very 
much  impressed  by  them,  though  in  a  way  very 
different  from  that  in  which  the  other  boys  were 
affected.  He  saw  how  Pat  managed  to  stimulate 
the  excited  imaginations  of  others  without  saying 


r.i  I ! 


l( 


I  m 

■  m 

tfy. 


r  I 


1    f 


'.  i    i; 


■  I-  :!•: 


246 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


«' 


(■  I 


m 

1 


anything  directly,  and  heard  him  lament  most  lach* 
rymosely  his  hard  fate  in  having  to  occupy  a  room 
in  so  fearful  a  place.  He  happened  to  be  near  the 
group  to  which  Pat  was  talking,  and  could  not  help 
saying,  ■— 

"  Well,  Pat,  my  room's  just  underneath  yours, 
and  if  anything  happens,  you  can  take  refuge  with 
me.     I'll  give  you  a  sof^  for  the  night." 

"  Deed,  thin,  an  you'll  find  me  comin  down  some 
night,"  said  Pat,  "  ony  maybe  I  mightn't  iver  git 
down  there.  Maybe  the  same  thing  that  would 
dhrive  me  down  might  prevint  me  goin  down." 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do :  you  yell 
like  Old  Harry,  and  I'll  go  up." 
"  You'd  niver  get  up." 
"  Never  get  up  ?    Why  not  ?  " 
"  It  wouldn't  let  you." 
"It?    What  It?" 
"  Why,  It  —  the  wan  that  walks." 
"  The  one   that  walks  ?     That's  just  what  it 
doesn't  do.     It's  very  bad  at  walking." 

"  You'd  soon  see,  if  ye'd  iver  find  him.  Any 
how ,  he'd  shtop  yer  comin  till  my  room." 

"  Stop  me  ?  Nonsense  I  How  can  it  stop  me, 
when  it's  in  the  cupola  ?  " 

As  he  said  this,  Bart  looked  in  an  expressive 
manner  at  Pat. 

Pat  looked  awav,  and  shook  his  head.  Whether 
he  suspected  that  Bart  knew  all  or  not,  he  did  not 
give  him  back  any  look  of  intelligence,  or  show 


'-■*l 


' 


PAT  IN   DANGER. 


247 


any  confusion.  He  simply  looked  away,  and 
said,  — 

"Well,  well,  —  aich  wan  must  have  his  own 
opinion.     We'll  know  betther  perhaps  some  day.'^ 

Bart  smiled,  and  turned  away.  Soon  he  joined 
Bruce  and  Arthur. 

i'  Pve  given  Pat  one  or  two  hints  already,"  said 
he,  "  that  I  saw  through  the  business,  and  IVe  just 
given  him  another.  It's  a  shame  for  him  to  go 
frightening  the  small  boys  that  way.  I  was  going 
to  arrange  it  all  to-morrow,  or  next  day,  so  that 
they  would  look  pn  it  as  a  joke.  But  Pat  is  keep- 
ing up  the  gloomy,  tragic  character,  and  there'll 
be  more  disturbance.  Only  he'd  better  look  out. 
I've  given  him  fair  warning.  There's  poor  little 
Harry  Thompson,  with  his  face  as  pale  as  a  sheet. 
It  isn't  fair.     It'll  have  to  be  stopped.'^ 

"  Shall  we  stop  it  to-night  ?  " 

"  Well,  no ;  we  had  better  wait  till  we  see  if  it 
goes  on,  and  whether  Pat's  hand  can  be  discerned 
in  it.  If  we  do  find  it  so,  I  really  don't  see  any 
reason  why  he  should  be  spared." 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  Bart  had  already 
made  his  friends  acquainted  with  the  discovery 
which  he  had  made  in  the  garret,  and  that  they 
had  decided  upon  some  general  plan  of  action. 
They  did  not  wish  to  put  an  end  to  the  aflfair  too 
prematurely  or  clumsily,  but  rather  to  terminate  it 
in  as  brilliant  a  manner  as  possible. 

As  this  day  was  positively  the  last  of  the  holi- 


ill 


m 


I    :    i! 


■  •  ': 


248 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND   PRlfe   SCHOOL. 


•     4 

*  i 

I     f 


days,  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  determined  to  celebrate 
it  by  a  modest  supper  in  the  Rawdons'  rooms. 
Solomon  was  accordingly  called  upon,  and,  as  al- 
ways, he  showed  himself  equal  to  the  occasion. 
Personally,  he  was  all  smiles  and  joyousness.  His 
little  black  beads  of  eyes  twinkled  incessantly, 
his  face  actually  shone,  and  his  complexion  was 
a  rich,  oily  sepia.  He  made  desperate  efforts  to 
preserve  an  air  of  profound  solemnity ;  but  occa- 
sionally a  short,  sharp  snort  of  a  laugh  would  burst 
forth,  after  which  his  face  would  at  once  regain 
its  mask  of  gravity. 

"  Dar  ! "  said  he,  as  he  put  the  last  dish  on. 
'*  Dar  I  blubbed  breddern,  dis  heah's  all  in  bona 
ob  dis  great  an  shinin  casium.  You  hab  now  fin- 
ished your  high  an  mighty  ventures.  Dar  you 
hab  bess  ob  'Cad'my  fare ;  none  but  de  brave,  you 
know,  deserb  dat  fare.  Off  you  go  to  lib  on  lasses 
an  pork,  an  come  back  to  vive  you  healt  by  de  nefi- 
cient  car  ob  ole  Solomon.  Den  off  you  clar  agin, 
jes  like  mad,  an  git  half  starbed,  so  hab  to  come 
back  agin  to  de  tractions  heah.  An  now,  blubbed 
breddern,  pitch  in.  Heah's  turkey,  an  chicken, 
an  sass,  an  mince  pies,  an  apple  tarts,  an  pickled 
'ysters,  an  red-hot  coffee,  an  cream,  an  fifty  oder 
tings  too  noomrous  to  mentium.  Fur  fudda  ticu- 
lars,  gemmen,  see  small  bills.     Yours,  truly." 

With  these  words  Solomon  welcomed  them  to 
the  feast  that  he  had  prepared.  The  boys  seated 
themselves  around  the  groaning  board,  and  gave 


THAT   AWFUL   SOUND. 


249 


i' 


themselves  up  to  the  joy  of  the  occasion.  They 
fought  their  battles  o'er  again.  They  went  over 
all  the  events  of  the  holidays.  Again  they  drifted 
through  the  dense  fog,  or  wandered  through  the 
trackless  forest;  again  they  waded  through  deep 
waters,  or  dug  deep  in  the  solid  ground. 

As  they  thus  chattered  and  laughed,  Solomon 
stood  surveying  them  with  a  beaming  smile  illu- 
minating all  his  dark  but  expressive  features ;  and 
all  the  time  he  kept  whispering  to  himself  words 
expressive  of  his  feelings  on  "  dat  ar  casium." 

Suddenly  all  this  was  interrupted. 

It  was  late.  All  was  still.  All  the  other  boys 
seemed  to  have  gone  to  bed.  Outside,  the  night 
was  quite  dark.  And  then  and  there,  amid  that 
stillness  and  in  that  darkness,  it  rang  out  right  over 
their  headd. 

It  was  again  that  peculiar  sound  which  they  had 
once  before  heard,  a  long,  shrill,  abrupt,  discord- 
ant shriek,  repeated  again  and  again,  and  echoing 
dismally  throughout  the  gloomy  extent  of  the  long, 
unfinished  garrst,  and  dying  away  in  the  far  dis- 
tances with  low  and  melancholy  intonations.  The 
ceiling  above  them  only  intervened  between  this 
room  and  the  garret,  so  that  they  could  hear  it 
very  plainly. 

As  the  sound  rang  out,  Solomon  started.  He 
was  that  moment  lifting  a  plate,  and  the  plate  fell 
from  his  nerveless  hands  crashing  on  the  floor. 
His  face   seemed   to   turn  to   a   sickly   greenish- 


1    t 


1  ■ 


250 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


brown ;  he  staggered  back,  and  leaned  against  the 
wall. 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 

This  completed  Solomon's  horror.  His  knees 
gave  way,  his  teeth  chattered,  his  eyes  rolled  fear- 
fully. He  sank  upon  the  floor,  and  remained  there 
in  a  sitting  posture. 

**  Come  in,"  shouted  Bruce.    "  Hallo,  Solomon  ! 
What's  the   matter  ?     Get  up.     Are  you  faint  ? ' 
Here,  take  a  drink  of  water.    Why,  man,  what's 
the  matter  ?  " 

Encouraged  by  Bruce's  words,  Solomon  made  a 
great  effort,  and  got  up,  edging  away  behind  the 
boys  as  far  from  the  door  as  he  could  get. 

No  one  had  come  in.  And  so  Arthur  went  to 
the  door,  and  opened  it.     Nobody  was  there. 

As  he  stood  wondering,  Jiggins's  door  opened, 
and  Jiggins  made  his  appearance,  clad  in  the  habil- 
iments of  the  night. 

"  Hallo,  Jiggins  I "  said  Arthur.  "  Did  you  knock?  " 

"  Me  ?  Knock  ?  Me  ?  No,"  said  Jiggins.  "  I 
—  I  was  just  in  bed,  and  asleep,  and  heard  that 
howl  above ;  and  then  there  came  a  knock.  I 
thought  it  was  you,  wanting  to  see  me.'' 

"  No ;  none  of  us  knocked." 

"  Somebody  did,  then." 

"  And  some  one  knocked  at  our  door,  too,"  said 
Arthur. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  said  Jiggins. 

By  this  time  the  other  boys  were  out  in  the  hall, 


■,  r; 


THE  ALARM. 


251 


and  were  looking  at  ono  another.  Bart  looked  along 
the  floor,  to  see  if  the  knock  could  have  been  pro- 
duced by  a  stone  thrown.  Behind  Tom  might  be 
seen  Solomon,  afraid  to  be  too  far  behind,  and  yet 
not  daring  to  venture  forward. 

"  It's  queer,"  said  Arthur. 

"I  don't  like  it,"  said  Jiggins,  solemnly.  "It 
somehow  don't  seem  right.  I  feel  really  uncom- 
fortable. There's  something  about  that  —  is  — 
not  —  right." 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  Bart, "  shall  we  go  up  again  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  we  may  as  well." 

"  0,  it's  no  use,"  said  Arthur.  "  There's  noth- 
ing more.  Still,  this  knock  ought  to  be  investi- 
gated." 

"  Let's  go,  then." 

"0,  no,"  groaned  Solomon.  "No  —  don't  — 
doo-on't  go;  don't  go  an  leab  dis  pore  stracted 
nigga  'posed  to  sich  clamties.  Don't  leab  a 
flicted  olo  darky  to  do  powers  of  darkness." 

"  Nonsense  !  Solomon.  Don't  be  afraid.  You 
wait  here  till  wo  come  back." 

"Couldn't  I  Darsn'tl"  cried  Solomon.  "  Neb- 
ber,  nebber  lib  troo  dat  ar  speriment.  No,  Mas'r 
Bart,  you  won't  leab  a  ole  fool ;  you'll  stan  by  a  ole 


man. 


iy 


"  All  right,"  said  Bart.  "  I'll  see  you  down  stairs, 
if  you  like.     Come." 

At  that  instant  there  sounded  out  a  deep  toll 
from  the  great  bell  in  the  cupola.     It  was  one  sin- 


m 


i, , 


252 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


gle  toll,  but  80  profound,  so  awful,  and  so  solemn, 
did  that  solitary  knoll  poal  forth  through  the  still 
night  air,  that  even  those  who  felt  no  fear  could 
not  avoid  an  involuntary  sensation  of  awe. 

Solomon  clutched  at  Bart's  arm,  and  looked  as 
though  he  had  no  life  left  in  him. 

"  That  settles  it,"  said  Bart.  "  That's  a  little  too 
much,  boys.  We'll  have  to  wind  this  thing  up 
— won't  we  ?     Bring  along  a  light,  Phil." 

"  0,  Mas'r  Bart  I  get  me  home,"  groaned  Solo- 
mon. "  I  member  you  when  you  wor  a  chile.  I 
used  to  give  you  candy.  Don  let  me  be  gob- 
bled up." 

"  Nonsense  !  Solomon.  Como  along ;  I'll  see  you 
safe  down,  and  then  you  can  run  for  it  to  your 
room.     Wait  a  minute,  boys." 

Down  went  Bart,  with  Solomon,  shuddering  and 
quaking,  at  his  heels,  and  finally  reached  the  door. 

"  Now,  then,  Solomon,"  he  said,  ^'  run  for  it." 

Away  went  Solomon,  in  a  frenzy  of  fear,  liis 
whole  frame  shuddering  in  vague  superstitious 
terror,  his  brain  reeling  witli  excitement,  his  fancy 
crowded  with  images  of  horror.  Away  he  went ; 
he  burst  into  the  boarding-house,  he  raced  up  the 
stairs,  he  rushed  into  his  room  as  before,  banged 
all  the  furniture  against  the  door,  and  lay  crouched 
in  a  corner,  and  quaking  till  morning. 

Bart  returned  at  once. 

"  Boys,"  said  Jiggins,  "  it's  a  solemn  timD  —  u 
deeply  solemn  time  !  " 


THE  SEARCH. 


253 


CI 


"  Won't  you  come  up,  Jiggins  ?  " 

"  No,  boys,"  said  Jiggins ;  "and  I  warn  you  not 
to  go  up.  That's  a  solemn  place  —  a  deeply  solemn 
place." 

"  Well,  come  up,  and  help  us  to  feel  the  solem- 
nity," said  Bart. 

Jiggins  shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  it,"  said  he.  "  It's  too 
solemn.  There's  a  certain  something  about  it  that 
makes  me  feel  a  —  kind  of  a  —  a  degree  of  a  — 
SOLEMNITY  —  that  —  a  —  " 

But  Jiggins's  voice  died  away  upon  the  ears  of 
the  boys,  as  they  ascended  the  stairs,  before  he 
could  finish  what  he  was  trying  to  say. 

The  object  of  the  boys  in  going  up  now  was, 
first,  to  find  the  cause  of  the  knock,  and  secondly, 
to  find  the  cause  of  the  tolling  bell.  They  thought 
that  perhaps  some  one  might  be  concealed  in  the 
attic,  and  so  they  looked  about  very  carefully  in 
all  directions.  Tom  stood  at  the  head  of  the  attic 
stairs,  so  as  to  bar  the  way  to  any  possible  fugi- 
tive. The  others  then  went  all  over  the  attic  most 
carefully,  beginning  at  the  end  next  Pat's  room, 
and  so  on  over  to  the  open  space  under  the  cupola. 
Crossing  this,  they  searched  all  over  the  farther 
end.  They  peeped  into  every  nook  and  corner, 
they  left  nothing  unexamined.  But  at  length  they 
were  forced  to  give  up  this  search,  for  nothing 
could  be  found.  Coming  back,  therefore,  they  stood 
in  silence  by  the  open  space  under  the  cupola,  and 


t' 


'A     ,•  I 


h  i .  I 


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.;  t 


f 
) 

* 

'■', 

1 

J, 

\ :  ^^if!: 

1 

1 
i  . 

!■ 

•. 

i ';! 

? 


254 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  Pr6  SCHOOL. 


looked  down  into  the  gloomy,  yawning  chasm  over 
which  went  the  narrow  phmk  pathway,  and  tried  to 
peer  through  the  deep  gloom  of  this  place. 

A.^ter  standing  here  for  some  time,  they  crossed 
to  the  other  side,  on  their  way  back,  and  were  here 
joined  by  Tom. 

"  Boys,"  said  Bart,  "  we  can't  get  at  the  bottom 
of  that  knock ;  that's  evident ;  but  we  oughtn't  to 
go  till  we  find  out  about  the  bell.  What  do  you 
say  to  going  up  ?  " 

"  Very  well,"  said  Bruce ;  "  only  we  can't  take 
the  lamps." 

"  Of  course  not ;  and  even  if  we  did,  the  wind 
would  blow  them  out.  But  it  don't  make  any  dif- 
ference about  that.  We  can  feel  about,  you  know. 
If  any  one's  in  the  cupola,  we'll  have  him,  and  find 
out  who  he  is." 

"  I'll  put  the  lamp  on  the  plank  here,"  said  Tom, 
"  and  it  will  throw  some  light  up." 

"  No,"  said  Arthur ;  "  it  might  get  shaken  off, 
and  then  good  by  to  the  old  Academy.  In  a  quar- 
ter  of  an  hour,  that  old  tinder-box  below  would  be 
in  flames.  Put  it  over  there  on  the  floor.  Never 
mind  whether  it  throws  up  any  light  or  not.  We 
can  all  go  up  in  the  dark  just  as  well." 

Tom  thereupon  put  his  lamp  on  the  solid  floor 
of  the  garret ;  and  after  this  the  whole  party 
walked  the  plank,  and  reached  the  foot  of  the  lad- 
ders that  ran  up  to  the  cupola.  There  were  two 
of  these,  and  in  climbing  up,  one  had  to  work  his 


TO  THE  CUPOLA. 


255 


way  through  a  net-work  of  beams.  In  the  day- 
time  this  was  troublesome  enough  to  an  unprac- 
tised hand,  and  in  the  dark  would  have  been  im- 
possible. But  these  boys  knew  every  inch  of  the 
way,  and  could  go  up  almost  as  easily  in  the  dark 
as  in  the  light. 

Bart  went  first,  Bruce  next,  then  Arthur,  then 
Phil,  and  Tom  came  last.  The  first  ladder  was 
slightly  slanting  in  one  direction,  and  terminated 
at  a  narrow  board,  from  which  the  second  ladder 
went  up  slanting  in  an  opposite  direction  to  the 
cupola.  They  went  up  quite  nimbly  and  rapidly, 
considering  the  total  darkness,  and  soon  reached 
the  cupola. 

Bart  was  up  there  first. 

In  the  middle  of  the  cupola,  and  hanging  imme- 
diately over  the  opening  through  which  they  came 
up,  was  the  great  bell,  whose  deep,  solemn  tones 
were  famihar  enough  to  them  from  the  summons 
which  it  hourly  sent  forth  during  term  time,  but 
whose  solitary  knell,  sounding  as  it  lately  did  in 
the  stillness  of  the  night,  had  struck  such  sudden 
awe  into  their  hearts.  All  around  the  bell  was 
room  enough  to  walk,  and  to  look  out  of  the  win- 
dows of  the  cupola. 

Bart  had  reached  the  cupola  first,  and  he  at  once 
walked  round  it  to  find  if  any  one  was  concealed 
here.  The  circuit  was  made  by  the  time  Bruce 
had  come  up,  who  immediately  went  round,  as  Bart 
had  done.     Then  the  others  came  up. 


iW: 


f  1 


.'  ' ,. 


T 


M 


I. 


P 


256 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


«  Well,"  said  Phil,  "  what's  the  luck  ?  " 

"  There's  no  one  here,"  baid  Bart. 

"  Have  you  felt  everywhere  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  He  couldn't  get  up  above  there  —  could  he  ?  *' 

"  0,  no." 

"  Perhaps  he's  outside,"  said  Arthur. 

At  this  suggestion  they  all  flung  open  the  shut- 
ters  which  surrounded  the  cupola,  and  as  it  waa 
too  dark  to  see,  they  felt  in  all  directions  with  their 
hands.  They  soon  found,  however,  that  no  one 
was  there. 

"  Now,"  said  Phil,  *^  the  question  is,  how  in  the 
world  could  that  bell  have  tolled  ?  " 

All  were  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  trying  to  con- 
jecture some  possible  way. 

It  will  be  seen  that  on  this  occasion  Bruce  had 
not  a  vestige  of  his  former  superstitious  feeling. 
The  affair  with  the  donkey  had  taught  him  a  salu- 
tary lesson,  and  the  discovery  that  Bart  had  made, 
when  communicated  to  him,  had  made  him  angry 
with  himself  for  the  fear  which  he  had  felt  before. 
He  was  perfectly  convinced  now  that  there  was 
some  trick,  which  was  the  only  cause  of  the  knock 
and  the  toll  of  the  bell,  and  this  he  tried  tc  dis- 
cover. 

Suddenly  he  stooped  down  and  felt  under  the 
bell. 

"  Boys,"  said  he,  after  a  pause. 

"  WeU." 


THE  DISCOVEEY. 


257 


"  Do  you  think  a  fellow  could  ring  the  bell  with- 
out coming  up  into  the  cupola,  by  some  very  sim- 
ple process?  Do  you  think  a  string  tied  to  the 
tongue  could  do  it  ?  " 

"  What  I "  cried  all,  in  great  exciteuient ;  and  all 
of  them  sprang  forward  to  feel  for  themselves. 

But  Bruce  warded  off  their  hands. 

"  Wait,"  said  he.  "  The  string's  here.  Stand 
back.    I  want  to  see  where  it  goes  to." 

The  boys  fell  back  now  in  greater  excitement 
than  ever.  The  string  was  a  common  piece  of 
twine.  Bruce  followed  it,  and  found  that  it  went 
across  to  the  side  of  the  cupola,  facing  their  end  of 
the  building,  and  then  it  was  passed  through  a 
crevice  close  to  the  floor,  and  passed  outside. 

But  where  ? 

Bruce  puiled  the  string.  The  other  end  was 
fastened ;  but  by  the  resistance  he  could  tell  that 
it  ran  for  a  long  distance. 

"  There's  only  one  place  that  it  goes  to,  of 
course,"  said  Bart,  "  and  that  is  Pat's  room.  But 
why  in  the  world  he  should  get  up  this,  passes  my 
comprehension.  We'll  have  to  teach  him  a  lesson, 
boys." 


]• 


1' 

1 

i 

1 

1 
I 

J'' 

■  ''III 

'i 
ll 

fi 

■ 

■'ii' 


%• 


258 


TH£  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PB&  SCHOOL. 


XIX. 

A  puzzling  Position.  —  How  to  meet  the  Emergency. 
—  A  strange  Suggestion.  —  Diamond  cut  Dior 
mond,  or  a  Donkey  in  a  Garret.  —  Surprise  of 
Jiggins  on  seeing  the  Stranger.  —  The  fated  Mo- 
rmnt  comes.  —  The  Donkey  confronts  the  Garret 
Noises.  —  The  Power  of  a  Bray. 

^HE  boys  remained  in  the  cupola  for  some 
time  longer.  Once  Bruce  had  the  satis- 
faction of  feeling  the  string  become  sud- 
denly tight  in  his  hands.  He  held  it  thus  for  a 
moment,  as  though  to  assure  himself  of  the  fact 
and  then  gave  it  a  sudden  pull. 

It  yielded  I 

The  whole  string  was  in  his  hands. 

Bruce  fell  down  on  the  floor,  and  his  whole 
frame  shook  with  smothered  laughter. 

"  What  in  the  world's  the  matter  with  you, 
Bruce  ?  "  cried  Bart. 

"  The  string  I  ha,  ha,  ha,  ha,  ha  I  The  string  I 
—  ha,  ha  I  —  The  string  !  " 

"  The  string  ?    Well,  what  about  the  string  ?  " 

"  Why,  I've  got  it.     I  felt  it  grow  tight,  —  ha, 


POSTPONEMENT. 


259 


ha,  ha  !  —  and  I  gave  it  a  jerk,  —  ha,  ha,  ha  I  — 
and  it  came,  —  ha,  ha,  ha,  ha  !  —  and  now  Pat^s 
wondering  what's  become  of  it,  —  ha,  ha,  ha,  ha !  — 
and  he's  thinking  that  the  ghost  he  was  shamming 
must  be  a  real  one,  after  all ! " 

Either  Bruce 's  laughter  was  contagious,  or 
else  the  boys  saw  something  irresistibly  funny 
in  Pat's  supposed  consternation  at  losing  the 
string;  but  whatever  was  the  cause,  the  boys 
burst  forth  also  into  fits  of  laughter,  which,  how- 
ever, they  tried  to  smother  as  well  as  they  could. 
And  now  the  question  was — what  to  do. 
At  first  they  were  going  to  teke  the  string 
away,  but  they  finally  decided  to  leave  it  just  as 
it  was,  so  as  to  see  what  Pat  would  do  under  the 
circumstances. 

After  coming  to  this  conclusion,  they  decided 
to  go  to  bed  for  the  night,  and  defer  any  further 
consideration  of  the  subject  till  the  following  day, 
when  they  would  feel  fresher  and  less  fatigued. 
So  they  descended  once  more,  and  separated  for 
the  night. 

The  next  morning  they  found  the  excitement 
greater  than  ever.  All  who  were  in  the  main 
building  had  heard  the  noises  of  the  night,  and 
some  in  the  boarding-house  had  heard  the  toll  of 
the  bell.  Jiggins  was  sad  and  exceedingly  sol- 
emn. Bogud  went  about  saying  that  none  of 
them  could  tell  what  might  happen;  which  lan- 
guage might   be    taken  to  signify  an  undeniable 


n 


:iM 


•:"  ;, 


260 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


ii' 


*  • 


•'  i-  III 


I 


truism  ;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  it  might  be  consid- 
ered as  a  suggestion  of  the  existence  of  some  pro- 
found, gloomy,  and  inscrutable  mystery.  Bogud 
rather  preferred  that  it  should  be  taken  in  that 
light.  Muckle,  Johnny,  Sammy,  and  Billymack,  all 
announced  that  they  thought  there  was  some- 
thing in  it,  and  shook  their  heads  with  dark  mean- 
ing and  impressive  emphasis  over  the  whole 
business.  Pat  was  as  usual,  only  a  little  more  so. 
He  was  active  in  all  kinds  of  hints.  He  refused 
to  tell  his  own  experience  of  the  night,  but  sug- 
gested something  grand,  gloomy,  and  peculiar. 
He  looked  like  one  who  wished  none  to  question 
him  about  the  secrets  of  his  prison-house.  He 
expressed  a  mournful  resignation  to  that  hard  fate 
which  made  him  the  neighbor  of  the  fearful  deni- 
zens of  the  garret,  and  meekly,  but  firmly,  refused 
the  offers  of  several  boy^  to  give  him  accommoda- 
tion till  the  trouble  should  cease.  Also,  Pat  had 
an  excellent  appetite,  and  his  ruddy  face  and 
bright  eyes  belied  the  cultivated  mournfulness  of 
his  expression.  Bart  had  gone  up  into  the  cupola 
before  breakfast,  and  had  found  that  the  string 
was  taken  away.  He  at  once  concluded  that  Pat 
had  been  up,  and  had  quietly  removed  it  for  the 
day.  If  he  had  felt  any  consternation  at  having 
the  string  jerked  from  his  hands,  he  had,  no  doubt, 
got  completely  over  it,  and  probably  attributed  it 
to  some  ordinary  cause,  very  different  from  the 
real  one. 


THE  NEW  TERM. 


261 


Pat's  demeanor  was  such  that  the  boys  saw  his 
evident  determination  to  keep  up  the  excitement. 
He  went  about  as  before  among  the  small  boys, 
heightening  their  fears,  and  giving  any  number  of 
dark  suggestions  to  their  excited  imaginations. 
Bogud,  and  Jiggins,  and  Sr.mmy,  and  Johnny,  and 
Billymack,  and  Muckle  also  sought  Pat's  society, 
and  left  it  more  confirmed  than  ever  in  their 
opinions.  Jiggins  was  more  than  ever  convinced 
that  it  was  a  deeply  solemn  season.  In  fact,  he 
kept  saying  so  to  everybody  all  day  long. 

The  teachers  could  not  be  ignorant  of  the  ex- 
citement, but  they  took  no  notice  of  it.  They 
thought  it  was  some  harmless  trick  of  some  of  the 
more  mischievous  boys,  which  did  not  call  for  their 
intervention  as  yet,  but  would  probably  be  re- 
vealed in  the  natural  course  of  things.  So  the 
boys  were  all  left  to  themselves. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  school  was  once  more 
opened,  after  so  many  delays,  and  the  duties  of  the 
new  term  commenced. 

Alas,  the  first  day  of  a  new  term !  What  a 
horror  it  brings  to  the  heart  of  a  boy  !  Fresh 
from  the  green  fields,  from  the  blue  sky,  from  the 
fragrant  woods,  the  babbling  brook,  the  sounding 
shore,  the  lofty  precipice,  the  bounding  wave,  — 
from  all  these  he  enters  into  the  gloom,  and  dark- 
ness, and  confinement  of  the  school-room.  Can 
there  be  any  wonder  that  the  fresh,  young,  boyish 
heart  should  quail,  and  his  bounding  young  life 


'ill 


i\  nil 


i*   ':   ■ 


^'<'l 


262 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


I  :  ; 


M 


•Hi 


droop,  and  his  uproarious  spirits  flag  on  that 
dreary  first  day  ?  Where  is  his  life,  in  which  of 
late  he  so  exulted  ?  Where  is  that  grand  face  of 
Mother  Nature,  so  dear  to  every  boy  ?  Where  are 
the  odor  of  the  fields,  the  balsamic  air  of  the 
forest,  the  invigorating  smell  of  the  salt  sea? 
These  are  the  loved  memories  that  afflict  him  at 
his  dingy  desk.  The  first  day  at  school  for  a  boy 
is  homesickness  in  its  broadest  sense.  I  don't  think 
anybody  can  be  so  homesick  as  a  boy  may  be;  nor 
can  a  boy  at  any  other  time  be  so  homesick  as  at 
such  a  time  as  this.  Homesickness,  moreover,  is 
not  merely  a  pining  frr  one's  actual  home,  but  it 
is  also  a  yearning  for  pleasures  that  have  fled, — 
some  lost  grace  of  life,  —  some  sweet  charm  which 
has  passed  away. 

Now,  none  of  our  boys  were  at  all  inclined  to 
what  they  called  "spooniness ;"  but  still  they  could 
not  help  feeling  the  common  evil  of  boy  humanity. 
The  school  hours  passed  slowly  and  heavily,  and 
they  tried  to  cheer  themselves  with  the  thought 
that  it  would  not  be  so  unpleasant  in  a  few  days, 
after  they  had  become  used  to  it. 

After  school  was  over,  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  engaged 
in  an  earnest  discussion  over  the  situation.  One 
common  resolution  was  in  all  their  minds,  and  that 
was,  to  put  an  end  to  the  ghost  in  the  garret.  But 
how  was  it  to  be  done  ? 

"  We  might  quietly  go  and  tell  the  fellows  aU 
about  it/'  said  Tom. 


TROUBLE  FOR  PAT. 


263 


I' 


"  Yes,"  said  Bart,  "  but  that  would  be  too 
clumsy.  What  I  want  is  something  more  artistic  ; 
I  want  a  dramatic  close,  in  which  there  shall  be  a 
scene  full  of  effect.  If  we  could  only  work  it  so 
as  to  let  the  thing  bring  itself  to  a  conclusion  in 
some  effective  way,  it  would  be  a  great  deal  more 
satisfactory  to  all  concerned." 

"  I  should  like  some  way,"  said  Bruce,  "in  which 
Pat  would  be  conscious  that  he  was  completely 
used  up ;  and  I  think  that  among  us  five  we  might 
arrange  a  counterplot  against  his  plot." 

"  Pat  certainly  deserves  some  sort  of  punish- 
ment for  the  way  he  has  been  frightening  the 
small  boys.  He  has  been  at  it  all  day  ;  I  dare  say 
he's  at  it  now.  Of  course  before  dark  he'll 
sneak  up  and  fasten  his  string  to  the  tongue  of  the 
bell  again,  so  as  to  get  all  ready  for  the  night's 
operations." 

"  We  can  easily  find  some  way,  I  should  think," 
said  Arthur,  "  of  paying  off  Par,  without  being 
cruel  in  any  way  to  him.  A  smart  shock,  adminis- 
tered delicately  and  neatly,  would  about  suit  my 
idea  of  the  case." 

"  Yes,  but  how  can  we  get  something  which 
will  be  mild,  yet  smart,  —  delicate,  yet  effective  ? 
That's  the  point  which  we  don't  seem  able  to 
decide." 

As  they  talked  in  this  way  they  were  walk- 
ing up  the  hill  towards  the  old  French  orchard. 
As  they  neared  the  place  Bart's  eyes  wandered 


t 


i 


.'  I  r 


'  ■  I  ■ 


■■".\V 


i 


264 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfc  SCHOOL. 


!<' 


I 

i 


I 


.1 


over  the  adjoining  pasture  field,  and  rested  on 
the  form  of  that  donkey  which  had  borne  so 
large  a  share  in  the  experiences  of  thr  past  few 
days. 

"  I  have  it  I "  he  cried,  suddenly. 

"  What  ?  "  asked  they. 

«  The  donkey  I " 

"  What  about  it  ?  " 

"  He  shall  help  us." 

"  How  ?  " 

"  The  donkey's  our  plan.  We'll  play  him  off 
against  the  ghost,  and  Pat !  The  donkey  was 
once  a  ghost  himself.  He'll  be  the  very  one  to  do 
the  thing  up  properly  ;  he's  had  experience.  After 
performing  so  successfully  at  the  hole,  at  our  ex- 
pense, you  can't  place  an>  imit  to  his  capacity. 
Yes,  boys,  the  donkey's  the  very  man." 

"  I  don't  see  what  good  the  donkey's  going  to 
be,"  said  Phil. 

"  What  good  ?  —  the  very  thing  we  want." 

"  How  ?  "  asked  Bruce. 

"  Pat  won't  come  up  here  to  get  frightened," 
said  Arthur. 

"  And  his  room  is  too  far  up  for  us  to  make  the 
donkey  bray  under  it,"  said  Tom. 

".All  very  true,"  said  Bart ;  "  but  then  what's 
to  prevent  our  marching  the  donkey  up  into  the 
garret  ? " 

"  What  ?  " 

"  Marching  him  up  into  the  garret." 


THE  DONKEY. 


265 


The  boys  looked  puzzled. 

"  Can  you  get  him  up  ?  " 

"  Of  course  we  can." 

"  But  think  of  the  horrible  racket  he'd  make 
going  up.     We  couldn't  keep  it  secret." 

"  0,  yes,  we  could.  We  could  fix  him  so  that  he 
could  go  up  w'thout  any  noise  in  particular." 

"How?" 

"  Why,  by  putting  bits  of  carpet  around  each  of 
his  feet.  We  could  then  get  him  up  stairs  some- 
how.   A  basket  of  oats,  for  instance. 

The  boys  thought  for  a  time,  and  then  burst  into 
fits  of  laughter  at  the  idea. 

"  You  see,"  said  Bart,  "  it  would  be  the  most 
magnificent  thing  ever  undertaken  on  this  hill. 
Besides,  how  splendid  it  would  be  to  bring  our 
ghost  face  to  face  with  Pat's  own  private  ghost^ 
and  let  them  confront  each  other.  What  a  tremen- 
dous, stupendous,  overwhelming,  and  altogether 
unparalleled  uproar  there  would  be  !  Pat  would 
then  be  confronted  with  something  different  from 
anything  that  he  had  been  calculating  on.  We'd 
break  down  the  panic  of  the  boys,  and  it  would  all 
end  in  a  roar  of  laughter." 

"  But  what  a  row  there'll  be  !  "  exclaimed  Phil. 

"  I  wonder  which  party'll  begin,"  said  Arthur. 

"  Pat's  side,  of  course,"  said  Bruce. 

"  I  hope,"  said  Tom,  "  that  our  side'U  do  his 
duty." 

"  0,  we'll  have  to  keep  him  up  to  it.     Donkey's 


-  f, 


I  u 


MM 


266 


THE   BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCiiOOL. 


ii  ■ 


that  can  bray,  and  won't  bray,  must  be  made  to 
bray." 

"  lie's  such  an  obstinate  brute,"  said  Arthur, 
"  that  I  don't  believe  we'll  be  able  to  do  anything." 

"  O,  we'll  manage  that,"  said  Bruce.  "  The  five 
of  us  are  strong  enough  to  pull  him  along  if  he 
won't  go  himself." 

"  We  can  get  a  whip,  or  a  stout  stick  some- 
where," said  Phil. 

"  No,"  said  Bart ;  "  no  beating  if  we  can  help  it. 
I'm  averse,  on  principle,  to  all  corporal  punishment. 
I  formed  a  deep  prejudice  against  it  in  my  early 
school    days.     No,   boys :   remember  what  Pope 


says :  — 


' If  I  had  a  donkey, 
And  he  wouldn't  go, 

D'ye  think  I'd  wallop  him  ? 
No,  no,  no.' 


ir 


'i 


On  the  contrary,  I  would  endeavor,  if  possible,  to 
secure  his  cooperation  with  our  plans  by  the  gentler 
method  of  moral  suasion  —  oats,  for  instance." 

"  Or  a  good  fat  thistle." 

"  Or  a  handful  of  sorrel." 

'•'  Or  a  cold  boiled  turnip.'^ 

"  Or  some  delicate  chickweed." 

After  some  further  consideration  they  came  to 
the  conclusion  to  make  an  attempt  to  carry  out  the 
donkey  proposal  that  very  night. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening  various  things  were 
prepared.     A  number  of  bits  of  old  carpet  with 


THE   DOJKEV    UP  STAIRS. 


2G7 


Borao  cord  were  most  conspicuous  among  these 
preparations. 

Their  plan  was  based  on  the  supposition  that 
Pat  had  not  heard  this  donkey  bray,  and  was,  per- 
haps, unaware  of  its  existence  here.  They  were 
quite  sure  that  he  had  not  been  up  near  the  pas- 
ture field  since  the  donkey  came,  and  so  lie  was 
probably  unaware  of  its  presence.  Consequently 
when  Pat  began  his  little  tricks  to-night,  he  would 
find  a  startling  cooperator. 

The  boys  waited  till  all  were  in  bed,  and  then 
brought  down  the  donkey.  They  had  but  little 
trouble  in  leading  him  along.  They  took  him  into 
a  grove  in  front  of  the  Academy,  and  there  tied  bits 
of  carpet  around  each  foot. 

Then  began  their  efforts  to  get  him  up  stairs. 
Here  was  where  they  anticipated  failure.  But  to 
their  surprise  this  was  accomplished  without  any 
very  great  diflSculty.  The  little  animal,  tempted 
by  turnips  held  in  front  of  his  nose,  encouraged  by 
strokings,  and  pulled  and  pushed  along,  made  a 
rush  up  the  first  f  \"cht.  He  went  up  as  nimbly  as 
a  goat,  and  iiAnt  lake  more  noise  than  six  men 
pounding  Vi^  \vii}^.  all  their  might.  The  noise 
certainlv  exceecU  t  all  that  they  had  calculated 
upon. 

Then  came  the  second  flight.  The  donkey  went 
up  triumphantly ;  but  by  the  time  he  reached  the 
top  he  had  lost  three  of  the  four  bandages  in 
which  his  feet  were  tied.     Here  they  heard  a  door 


-•  >,  i 


W^ 


",{•' 


;■! 


I.  i 


208 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRfe  SCHOOL. 


[I- 

I  1 

If' 


w 


open  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  Bogud's  voice 
calling,  — 

"  What's  all  that  ?    Who's  there  ?  " 

"  0,  nothing.  It's  only  a  new  student,"  said 
Bart,  quietly. 

Bogud's  door  closed  again. 

They  then  led  the  donkey  on.  But  just  as  they 
reached  Jiggins's  door,  it  opened,  and  Jiggins  put 
forth  his  head,  holding  a  candle  out,  and  blinking 
at  them.  To  his  horror  he  saw  immediately  in 
front  of  him  the  shaggy  companion  of  the  "  B.  0. 
W.  C."  But  at  the  same  moment  he  recognized 
the  boys,  and  this  reassured  him. 

"  What  —  what's  all  this  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  It's  a  nightmare,"  said  Bart ;  '*  we're  taking 
iiim  up  to  fight  the  ghost." 

At  this  the  donkey  looked  amiably  at  the  figure 
in  the  doorway,  and  making  a  step  forward,  put  his 
head  through,  and  was  about  entering  when  the 
occupant  of  the  room  banged  the  door  in  his  face. 

The  boys  then  resumed  their  journey.  But  the 
last  flight  was  not  passed  without  a  fearful  racket, 
and  the  donkey  lost  the  remaining  bandage.  At 
length,  however,  they  reached  the  top,  and  walk- 
ing softly  themselves,  they  led  the  donkey  over  to 
a  point  near  where  Pat's  room  was. 

Leaving  him  here,  they  then  retired. 

The  donkey  was  thus  left  alone  to  himself,  and 
to  a  cold  boiled  turnip,  which  Bart  had  put  under 
his  nose.  After  a  short  season  of  bewilderment, 
he  proceeded  to  regale  himself  on  this. 


!• 


Vl:}. 


oice 


said 


they 
3  put 
iking 
)ly  in 
B.  0. 
:nized 


baking 

figure 
mt  his 
en  the 
face. 
Jut  the 
racket, 
;e.     At 
d  walk- 
over to 


lelf,  and 
t  under 
erment, 


I ',' 


iC; 


?l'  !!! 


wmmmmmm 


I  '/ 


THE  DONKEY  MEDITATES. 


269 


The  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  all  separated,  and  went  to 
bed. 

The  characters  in  this  drama  were  left  to  take 
care  of  themselves. 

Now  Pat,  in  his  room  at  the  end  of  the  long 
garret,  had  heard  the  racket  made  by  the  donkey 
in  coming  up,  and  at  first  did  not  know  what  to 
make  of  it.  At  length,  however,  the  noise  ceased, 
and  for  about  half  an  hour  all  was  still. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  loud,  wild  shriek  from 
afar  through  the  long  garret,  followed  by  others  in 
succession. 

But  Pat  did  not  quake,  or  shiver  —  not  he. 

He  waited  for  a  few  minutes  with  a  pleasant 
smile  of  keen  enjoyment  on  his  face.  Then  he 
went  to  the  window  of  his  room,  and  pulled  a 
string,  which  came  in  from  the  outside. 

And  there  followed  a  deep,  solemn  toll,  that 
broke  upon  the  stillness  of  the  night  with  a  gloomy 
and  awful  intonation,  carrying  terror  to  many  poor 
little  boys,  who  heard  it  and  quaked  with  super- 
stitious fear. 

The  donkey  had  finished  his  turnip  ! 

He  had  begun  to  reflect  on  the  peculiarity  of  his 
situation  I 

All  dark  around.  No  pleasant  pasture,  no  star- 
lit sky  —  nothing  but  utter  darkness.  He  felt  un- 
comfortable. He  stood  fixed  in  one  spot,  and  the 
very  unusual  situation  told  heavily  upon  his  spirits. 

Had  he  been  in  some  comfortable  stall,  or  some 


1 1 


li- 


!Bni 


270 


THE  BOYS  OB  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I,  I 


*' 


sequestered  pasture,  he  might  have  lain  down  and 
slept  the  sleep  of  the  donkey.  But  he  had  been 
badgered  and  deceived,  and  such  a  getting  up 
stairs  lie  never  had  seen. 

And  now,  in  the  midst  of  these  reflections,  there 
came  this  uproar  of  shrieks  and  tolling  bells.  It 
was  too  much.  It  was  not  at  all  what  he  was  ac- 
customed to. 

So  he  proceeded  to  enter  a  protest  against  the 
whole  business. 

The  donkey  raised  his  head  I 

He  elevated  his  tail  I 

He  spread  his  legs  apart  so  as  to  gain  a  firmer 
attitude ! 

Then  he  burst  forth  :  — 

He!  haw!    He!    Haw! 

Heeeeee !    Haaaaaaw  I 

He!  haw!    He!  haw  I 

He  haaaaaaauaw ! 

Heeeeeeeeeee ! 

Haaaaaaaaaaaaw ! 

Heeee  !     Haaaww  I 

HE  HAAAAW  ! ! ! 

The  noise  of  that  terrific  bray,  as  it  sounded 
out,  burst  forth  close  by  Pat.  He  was  on  one  side 
of  the  partition.  The  donkey  was  on  the  other.  He 
was  just  about  seizing  the  cord  so  as  to  give 
another  pull  to  the  tongue  of  the  bell,  when  there 
arose  this  unexpected,  this  tremendous  interrup- 
tion.    Whether  Pat  had  ever  heard  the  bray  of  a 


PAT^S   TERROR. 


271 


donkey  before  mattered  not  at  that  moment.  He 
certainly  had  never  before  heard  a  dorke",  and  an 
injured  donkey  too,  at  midnight,  in  a  garret,  close 
beside  him,  pour  forth,  so  suddenly,  and  so  terribly, 
and  so  deafeningly,  such  accumulated  woes. 

Had  a  cannon  suddenly  exploded  close  by  Pat's 
elbow,  he  could  not  have  been  more  utterly  over- 
whelmed. 

He  sprang  back.  For  a  moment  he  stood  par- 
alyzed. Then  he  jumped  at  the  door.  He  tore  it 
open.  He  leaped  down  the  stairs.  Bart's  room 
was  at  the  bottom.  He  opened  the  door,  burst  in, 
and  banged  ;t,  and  locked  it  behind  him. 

Then  he  stood  against  the  door,  making  the 
pressure  of  his  back  an  additibUtil  bi*rrier  against 
the  entrance  of  any  pursuer. 


ii. 


I  ! 


t  I 


272 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


XX. 

Full,  complete,  and  final  Revelation  of  the  Great 
Garret  Mystery.  —  Confession  of  Pat.  —  Indigna- 
tion of  Solomon.  —  His  Speech  on  the  Occasion.  — 
The  Authorities  of  the  School  roused.  —  Pat  and 
the  "  B,  0.  W.  C."  are  Jiauled  up  to  give  an  Ac- 
count. 


^ALLO  !  "  cried  Bart,  who  was  roused  by  the 
noise.  "  Who's  that  out  there  ?  What's 
the  row  ?  " 

"  It's  ony  me,"  said  Pat,  in  a  faint  voice. 

"  You,  Pat !  Is  it  you  ?  Well,  I'd  say  I'm  very 
glad  to  see  you,  only  it  happens  to  be  too  dark  to 
see  anything.     Well,  Pat,  what's  up?" 

By  this  time  Bart  had  got  out  of  bed,  and  had 
reached  the  sitting-room,  where  Pat  was  still  stand- 
ing against  the  door. 

"  Didn't  ye  hair  it  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Hear  it  ?     Hear  what  ?  " 

"  It  I "  cried  Pat.  "  There's  no  mistake  this 
time." 

"  0,  come,  Pat,  none  of  that  nonsense.  That 
does  very  well  for  the  little  boys  ;  but  I  understand 


it  all. 


J7 


THE  EXPLANATION. 


273 


•'ill 


**  Didn't  ye  hair  it?  "  cried  Pat.  "  It  nairly  blew 
me  head  off,  so  it  did.  An  donn  hair  I  coom  wid 
wan  lape,  so  I  did  —  an  it  afther  me." 

"It?    What  It?" 

"  Shure  you  know  what." 

"  You  don't  mean  that  rubbish  about  a  ghost. 
I  know  all  about  that.  You  needn't  talk  to  me 
that  way." 

At  this  moment  the  distant  bray  of  the  donkey 
sounded  once  more.  Pat  clutched  Bart's  arm,  and 
cried,  — 

"  There  it  is  a^in.  It's  a  coomin.  0, 1  knowed 
it." 

"  That !  "  said  Bart,  opening  the  door  and  listen- 
ing. "  Why,  that's  only  the  bray  of  a  donkey. 
You've  heard  it  often  enough  —  haven't  you  ?  " 

"  The  bray  of  a  donkey  !  "  faltered  Pat.  "  Sure 
it's  me  that's  heard  it." 

"  Well,  this  must  be  one." 

"  But  who  ivir  heard  of  a  donkey  in  a  garret  ?  " 

"  0,  I  dare  say  he's  strolled  up  there  to  visit 
your  friend  in  the  cupola." 

And  now,  Bart,  not  caring  to  prolong  Pat's  terror, 
explained  the  cause  of  the  noise  that  had  terrified 
him,  letting  him  know  at  the  same  time  why  it  was 
done.  He  told  Pat  that  they  found  out  about  the 
screech,  and  the  bell,  and  sent  up  the  donkey  so  as 
to  give  him  a  little  taste  of  that  fear  which  he  was 
so  anxious  to  give  to  others.  As  they  had  given 
him  a  shock,  he  was  satisfied.  H'ul  Pat  been  at  all 
18 


111 

"I    ffl 


■f-l. 


:    I 


^mBM 


274 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


an  ill-tempered  fellow,  he  might  have  resented  all 
this ;  but  as  he  was  one  of  the  best-natured  fel- 
lows in  the  world,  he  showed  not  the  smallest 
particle  of  resentment.  On  the  contrary,  the  mo- 
ment the  load  of  horror  was  lifted  off  by  Bart's  dis- 
closure, his  buoyant  spirits  rose  at  once,  and  all 
burst  forth  to  the  full  swing  of  his  jovial,  mirthful, 
ridiculous,  reckless  Irish  temperament. 

"  Faith,  an  it's  me  that's  caught  —  'deed  an  it  is 
so,  thin,"  he  cried,  with  a  burst  of  laughter.  "  An 
ye  got  the  donkey  up  to  the  garret !  Sure  it  bates 
the  wurruld,  so  it  does.  An  didn't  I  hair  the  noise  ? 
but  how  cud  1  ivir  dhrame  it  wor  that.  An  ye  got 
him  jist  close  fornist  me,  so  ye  did  !  It  wor  just  in 
me  own  air  that  he  hooted,  so  it  wor.'' 

Pat  now  grew  quite  communicative,  and  told 
Bart  all  about  it.  His  motive  for  creating  an  ex- 
citement was  simply  to  get  a  chance  of  laughing 
at  the  other  boys,  who  had  so  often  laughed  at 
him.  There  was  no  malice  whatever  in  his  inten- 
tion ;  nothing  at  all  of  the  nature  of  vengefulness  ; 
but  simply  a  mischievous  and  thoughtless  idea  of 
throwing  some  ridicule  on  the  boys  generally. 
Bart's  discovery  of  the  truth  was  known  to  him, 
l)ut  he  did  not  care  for  that ;  he  was  determined  to 
keep  up  his  little  joke  as  long  as  it  could  be  kept 
up.  He  had  been  startled  that  night  when  the 
string  had  been  jerked  from  his  hand,  but  after- 
wards concluded  that  it  was  the  wind.  The  knock 
at  the  doors  he  explained  very  simply.     He  had 


THE   OWL. 


275 


stolen  up  barefoot,  and  as  the  screech  sounded, 
he  had  struck  each  door  with  a  stick,  and  then  ran. 
He  was  down  below  before  they  could  see  hir  . 
All  this  Pat  exy  lained  with  perfect  ease  and  much 
merriment,  regarding  it  all  as  a  good  joke,  not  even 
excepting  the  last  affair  with  the  donkey. 

But  what,  it  may  be  asked,  was  that  screech 
which  had  been  the  beginning  of  it  all  ? 

It  was  all  explained  on  the  following  morning. 

Early  on  that  morning  the  donkey  had  boen 
brought  down  stairs  with  little  difficulty,  but  with 
an  immense  amount  of  noise.  As  the  boys  brought 
him  out,  Pat  marched  quietly  after  them,  carrying 
an  enormous  Owl  ! 

One  by  one  the  boys  heard  the  news.  The 
whole  school  came  flocking  out  to  look  upon  the 
objects  of  their  late  terror.  Gradually  the  whole 
story  came  out,  and  the  boys,  in  their  sudden  recoil 
from  a  general  panic,  now  gave  way  to  the  wildest 
uproar  and  merriment.  A  laughing  procession 
followed  the  donkey  to  his  rural  home,  while  Pat 
took  the  owl  down  into  the  kitchen  to  get  some 
meat  for  it  from  Solomon. 

Meanwhile  Solomon  had  heard  of  the  revelation 
of  the  dark  mystery,  and  was  running  out  to 
satisfy  himself,  when  he  met  Pat  half  way. 

*'  0,  de  sakes,  now  !  "  cried  old  Solomon.  "  What 
dis  heah  scubbry  dat  hab  turn  up  on  dis  smilir.  an 
'spicious  morn.  Whar's  dat  ar  an'nial  what  hab 
ben  kickin  up  sech  a  'menjous  bobberation,  an  ob 


t, 


276 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


^•• 


whose  'aploits  I  hab  heard  so  much  ?  Am  dis  heah 
do  'aterious  an  stror'ny  phiantium  dat  hab  frikeiied 
dis  'stracted  ole  nigga  man  mos  to  deflf ?  " 

"  Sure  an  here  he  is,"  said  Pat,  holding  forward 
tlie  bird,  "  an  as  fine  a  owl  as  ye'd  wish  fur  till  clap 
yer  eyes  on,  so  he  is." 

Solomon  stood  looking  at  the  owl  for  a  few  mo- 
ments. Inen  he  made  a  low  bow,  with  absurd 
extravagance  of  gesture.  Then  he  burst  forth  in 
a  strange  tone,  which  seemed  like  a  desperate  at- 
tempt at  sarcasm. 

"  Mas'r  Owl,  sah,"  said  he,  rolling  up  his  eyes 
and  spreading  out  his  hands,  — "  Mas'r  Owl,  sah. 
good  morn,  sah.  I'se  so  drefful  glad  to  see  you, 
sah  !  —  such  a  'mendious  honna,  sah  I  " 

He  then  made  another  low  bow,  after  which  he 
went  on  with  an  attempt  at  more  scathing  sarcasm 
than  ever,  in  which  there  was  also  visible  a  tinge 
of  something  like  indignation. 

"  Mas'r  Owl,  sah,  ar  you  awah,  sah,  dat  you  hab 
ben  'ferin  berry  much  wid  de  'pose  ob  an  aged 
but  spectb'l  gem'n  ob  coUa,  sah?  a  pus^n,  sah, 
dat's  bettan  a  dozen  ob  you,  sah  —  bein  as  he  is  a 
Granpanderdrum,  an  'sides  bein  fessa  ob  de  cool 
and  airy  'partment  in  dis  yah  'Cad'my  —  fessa,  sah, 
ob  ebba  so  many  yeahs'  stan'in,  sah  —  fren  ob  de 
docta,  sah,  an  not  a  pus'n  to  be  'posed  on,  sah  ?  Do 
you  know  what  you  are,  sah?  You're  a  mis'ble 
darky,  sah  —  no  better'n  a  crow,  sah  I  Do  you 
know  what  I'm  gwine  to  do,  sah,  dis  bressed  mo- 


^j::i'^ 


|:!l:'>:,!:Jl 


.i  ? 


SOLOMON'S   SPEECH. 


277 


mont,  sah?  I've  biled  turkeys,  an  chickons,  an 
geese,  an  clucks,  an  pattidges,  an  quaik  an  snipes, 
but  I  hab  nebba  biled  a  owl.  Wal,  dat  ar's  jest 
what  I'm  a  gwine  to  do  now,  sah.  Yes,  sah,  I'm 
'termined  'pon  dat  ar.  In  you  go  to  de  pot,  body, 
bones,  an  beak  —  horns,  tail,  an  all,  sah." 

"  An  what's  the  use  ?  "  said  Pat :  "  shure  he  isn't  a 
poll  parrot,  that  can  talk  back  at  ye  an  give  ye  as 
gud  as  he  gets.  He's  ony  an  owl,  an  he  can't  spake 
a  wurrud,  so  he  can't. 

*'  Any  how,  I'se  gwine  to  bile  him  dis  bressed 
minit." 

"  Ah,  now,  be  aff  wid  ye ;  go  long,  an  don't  be 
foolin,"  cried  Pat,  as  Solomon  made  an  effort  to 
take  the  owl ;  ''  shure  he  niver  did  ye  any  harrum 
at  all  at  all.  Shure  he's  Misther  Slocum's  tame 
owl,  so  he  is,  that's  run  away,  an  ben  livin  in  our 
garret  —  an  I'm  takin  him  back  to  his  owner." 

"  Mis'r  Sloc'm,"  said  Solomon.  "  Well,  Mis'r 
Sloc'm  doesn't  lib  down  heah  —  he  doesn't.  What 
you  a  bringin  him  heah  for  ?  " 

"  Sure  he  ony  wants  his  mate." 

"His  mate,"  cried  Solomon.  "Hab  his  mate 
flowed  off  sides  him.  Ef  I  fin  dat  ar  mate  'bout 
dese  yah  primises,  I'll  bile  her  to  pieces." 

"  Ah,  be  aflf  wid  ye  I  Shure  it's  ony  a  paice  av 
mate  that  I  want  fur  the  owl." 

"  A  piece  ob  meat  I  "  cried  Solomon.  "  Nebba, 
sah.     Dat  ar  bird  hab  'suited  me." 

And  he  drew  up  his  aged  form  with  severe 
dignity. 


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278 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  FUt   SCHOOL. 


1 

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But  Pat  coaxed  and  pleaded,  and  the  end  of  it 
was,  that  Solomon  was  prevailed  on  to  give  him  a 
piece  of  meat.  The  owl  devoured  it  greedily,  and 
then  Pat  took  him  away  to  his  owner. 

The  bird,  as  Pat  said,  belonged  to  Mr.  Slocum, 
who  lived  about  two  miles  away.  He  had  received 
him  as  a  very  fine  specimen  of  a  screech  owl,  from  a 
sea  captain,  who  had  brought  him  from  abroad,  and 
had  got  tired  of  him.  Mr.  Slocum  happened  to  be 
in  Halifax  at  the  time,  and  brought  the  bird  home 
in  triumph  a  few  weeks  before.  During  the  previ- 
ous week  he  had  escaped,  and  had  found  his  way 
through  an  open  window  of  the  cupola  into  the 
garret.  Pat  had  discovered  him  first,  and  as  his 
terrific  hoot  sounded  out,  frightening  the  boys,  he 
took  advantage  of  the  circumstance  to  perform  a 
few  additional  tricks  of  his  own,  with  the  con- 
sequences that  have  been  narrated.  It  was  only 
on  the  previous  day  that  Pat  had  found  out  who 
was  the  owner  of  the  wandering  bird.  He 
happened  to  hear  people  speaking  of  it  in  the 
village  store  as  he  was  making  some  purchases. 
So,  now  that  the  whole  ailair  had  come  to  an  end, 
he  thought  he  might  as  well  restore  the  lively  bird 
to  its  rightful  owner. 

Meanwhile  the  donkey  had  been  taken  to  his 
pasture,  and  the  boys  returned,  and  school  began, 
and  the  business  of  the  day  soon  engrossed  their 
whole  attention. 

After  school  Pat  and  the  boys  of  the   "B.  0. 


MR.    long's   request. 


279 


W.  C."  received  a  message  from  Mr.  Long,  request- 
ing them  to  come  to  his  study. 

For  the  affair  had  spread,  and  the  teachers  had 
learned  all  about  it.  Of  course  it  was  a  thing  that 
could  not  be  passed  over.  After  some  discussion, 
however,  it  was  considered  that  it  was  not  of  suf- 
ficient importance  to  be  brought  before  Dr.  Porter  ; 
and  so  Mr.  Long  was  requested  to  see  all  the  boys 
concerned  in  the  affair,  and  afterwards  report. 

Mr.  Long's  study  was  a  room  situated  immediate- 
ly under  Bart's.  He  generally  left  at  nine  in  the 
evening,  and  slept  elsewhere.  Consequently  he 
had  not  been  in  the  way  of  hearing  those  "  voices 
of  the  night."  It  was  to  this  room,  then,  that  the 
"  B.  O.  W.  C,"  together  with  Pat,  bent  their  steps, 
trying  to  conjecture  what  Mr.  Long  proposed  to 
do  about  it. 


280 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


XXI. 

Called  to  Account.  —  Mr.  Long  and  the  B.  0.  W.  C. 
—  They  get  a  tremendous  "  Wigging.''^  —  Pat  to 
the  Rescue.  —  Mr.  Long  relaxes.  —  The  unhidden 
Guest.  —  Captain  Corbet  and  the  irrepressible 
Bobby.  —  Coming  in  Joy  to  depart  in  Tears.  — 
The  Belies  a^ain.  —  A  Solemn  Ceremony.  —  A 
Speech,  a  Poem,  a  Procession,  all  ending  in  a 
Consignment  of  the  exhumed  Treasure  to  its 
Besting-place. 


I    .1 


;i 
■111 


if|ii:i 


i 


'S  they  entered  the  study  they  found  Mr. 
Long  seated  in  an  arm-chair  by  his  study 
table.  He  looked  at  them  with  a  grave 
and  severe  countenance,  and  motioned  them  to 
seats. 

They  sat  down. 

"  Boys,"  said  Mr.  Long,  in  a  cold  and  constrained 
voice,  "  None  of  you  will  accuse  me  of  ever  in- 
terfering with  legitimate  sport,  or  will  think  that 
I  am  destitute  of  sympathy  with  boyish  ways  and 
manners.  I  think  you  know  me  well  enough  to 
believe  that  I  take  a  deep  interest  in  everything 
that  can  make  you  enjoy  yourselves  here ;  that  I 


CALLED   TO   ACCOUNT. 


281 


want  you  to  love  this  place  with  all  your  hearts, 
and  through  all  your  after  lives  to  look  back  upon 
Grand  Pr^  Academy  witli  the  most  affectionate  rec- 
ollection. That  very  feeling  I  have  now,  and  it  is 
this  that  animates  me  while  I  call  upon  you  to  give 
an  account  of  those  disturbances  in  which  you 
have  been  engaged. 

"  You  see  a  line  must  be  drawn  somewhere,"  he 
continued.  "  Your  affair  at  the  French  cellar  was 
not  altogether  what  it  ought  to  have  been,  and  I 
do  not  approve  of  it  at  all.  Apart  from  the  lateness 
of  the  hour,  there  was  about  the  whole  transaction 
an  air  of  wildness  —  a  certain  headlong  reckless- 
ness of  sport,  which  I  should  rather  check  than  in- 
dulge. Still,  I  have  nothing  to  say  about  that  now. 
You  seem  to  have  gone  into  that  affair  with  an  im- 
petuosity of  pure  fun,  that  blinded  you  to  anything 
objectionable  which  might  have  been  in  it.  Be- 
sides, you  have  already  told  all  about  that,  and  in  a 
whimsical  way  that  disarmed  all  reproof. 

"  But,  boys,"  resumed  Mr.  Long,  in  a  severer 
tone,  "  this  last  affair  has  been  really  a  serious 
offence  against  discipline.  The  school  has  been 
disturbed,  it  seems,  for  many  nights.  There  have 
been  all  kinds  of  noises ;  bowlings,  yellings,  and 
screechings,  of  all  sorts ;  rappings  and  knockings. 
Now,  all  these  things  may  be  very  funny  to  the 
contrivers  of  them,  but  you  are  surely  old  enough 
to  know  that  they  may  be  excessively  dangerous 
to  sensitive  minds.     Did  you  not  think  of  the  poor 


-r^!'. 


282 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


little  fellows  here  who  might  receive  a  serious 
mental  shock  from  such  disturbances  ?  Is  it  possi- 
ble that  you  could  have  been  blind  to  all  things 
except  your  own  selfish  amusement  ?  Is  this  the 
sort  of  thing  that  is  becoming  to  you  —  you,"  he 
repeated,  "  from  whom  I  hoped  nothing  but  ex- 
amples of  manliness,  and  generosity,  and  frank- 
ness, and  chivalry  ?  I  will  not  believe  that  it  is 
possible  for  you  to  fail  in  these  qualities.  I  trust 
rather  to  what  I  know  of  you,  and  I  will  attribute 
all  this  to  nothing  except  utter  thoughtlessness  on 
your  part.  And  it  is  that  very  thoughtlessness,  if 
nothing  worse,  that  I  blame.  It  was  not  worthy  of 
you ;  it  was  utterly  beneath  you.  It  was  a  very 
serious  offence." 

The  boys  fairly  writhed  under  all  this,  and  Bart, 
Avith  his  face  flushing  scarlet,  and  his  eyes  gleam- 
ing with  excited  feeling,  was  about  to  speak ;  but 
Mr.  Long  commanded  silence  with  his  uplifted 
hand. 

"  But  what  shall  I  say,"  he  continued,  "  to  this 
last  business  ?  Here  everything  reaches  a  climax. 
Not  satisfied  with  having  thrown  the  whole  school 
into  a  panic,  and  with  making  the  garret  seem  a 
haunted  place  to  most  of  the  boys,  —  a  place,  in 
fact,  into  which  none  dared  to  go  but  yourselves,  — 
not  satisfied  with  all  this,  you  determined  upon  an 
act  which  is  sufficient  to  demand  serious  punish- 
ment. Having  already  raised  an  almost  intolerable 
terror  in  the  school,  you  deliberately  proceed  to 


iiil 


MR.   LONG   IS  SEVERE. 


283 


iriensify  even  this,  and  raise  that  terror  into  a 
perfect  anguish.  Was  not  the  panic  sufficient 
already  ?  Did  you  wish  it  to  terminate  in  some 
tragedy  ?  Would  it  have  been  satisfactory  to  you 
if  the  feeble  brain  of  some  of  the  younger  boys 
had  given  way  under  this  new  terror?  if  some  one 
of  them  had  suddenly  gone  mad,  as  that  abhor- 
rent roar,  that  mixture  of  howls,  and  yells,  and 
screeches,  and  hoots,  rising  up  into  an  unearthly 
din,  and  intermingled  with  the  awful  toll  of  the 
bell,  had  burst  upon  his  ear?  Such  things  have 
happened.  There  have  been,  not  boys,  but  men, 
who  have  gone  mad  from  things  even  less  terrible 
than  these.  Why,  when  I  think  of  what  might 
have  happened,  I  shudder,  and  I  stand  amazed  at 
what  I  charitably  consider  your  thoughtlessness ; 
though  for  such  thoughtlessness  as  this,  what 
punishment  can  be  adequate  ? 

"  And  now,"  he  concluded,  "  what  have  you  to 
say  for  yourselves  ?  " 

All  this  time  the  faces  of  the  boys  were  like  fire, 
and  writhing  in  indignation,  they  looked  back  at  Mr. 
Long  as  he  hurled  against  them  what  they  felt  to 
be  unmerited  accusations.  They  had  only  been 
concerned  in  the  last  affair  for  the  purpose  of 
putting  an  effectual  end  to  the  other.  But  as  they 
sat  there  in  the  consciousness  of  innocence,  they 
saw  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  explain  it. 
They  could  not  tell  what  they  knew,  for  that  would 
be  to  accuse  Pat. 


284 


THE   BOYS   OP  GRAND   PR^.   SCHOOL. 


.    *' 


t    . 


"  Mr.  Long,"  burst  forth  Bart,  starting  up,  with 
his  face  in  a  flame,  and  his  voice  trembling  with 
indignation,  "  every  word  that  you  have  uttered  is 
utterly  and  totally  undeserved  by  us.  I  assure 
you  most  solemnly  that  we  have  never  violated 
any  principles  of  honor  or  of  chivalry.  You  do 
not  know  the  facts,  sir,  or  you  would  never  have 
uttered  those  bitter  words.  You  have  done  us 
great  wrong,  sir ;  we  are  not  deserving  of  such 
charges  as  these.  We  are  innocent ;  but  we  are 
not  in  a  position  to  explain." 

Bart  paused  for  a  moment,  and  in  that  momen- 
tary pause  another  voice  burst  in  as  eagerly  and  as 
impetuously  as  his  own. 

It  was  Pat. 

He  had  started  to  his  feet  just  as  Bart  did,  but 
Bart  had  spoken  before  him.  As  soon  as  he  could 
get  a  chance  he  burst  in. 

"  Mr.  Long,"  he  cries,  "  it's  all  a  mishtake  what 
yer  sayin.  As  thrue  as  I'm  standin  here, —  and  I'm 
tellin  no  lie,  so  I  ain't,  —  it  was  me  that  did  it,  so  it 
was.  And  they  knowed  it  was  me,  so  they  did. 
And  it  was  only  to  play  a  little  harrumless  joke 
that  I  did  it.  I  didn't  bring  the  owl  there  at  all, 
at  all.  He  coom  there  himself.  He  howled,  an 
the  on}'  blame  to  me  wor,  that  I  didn't  tell  what  I 
knowed.  Besides,  1  thried  till  alarrum  the  boys  a 
bit.  Nivir  fear  that  wan  av  thim  same  goes  mad. 
They  injied  the  excitemint,  so  they  did.  Afther  a 
day  or  two,  I  tied  a  sthring  till  the  bell-knocker,  an 


MR.   LONG  RELAXES. 


285 


give  it  a  bit  av  a  pull,  an  I  knocked  at  the  Raw- 
dons'  dure  and  at  Jiggins'.  An  I'm  the  ony  wan  to 
blame ;  an  if  there's  till  be  any  punishin  a  goin, 
I'm  the  wan  that's  going  till  take  it,  so  I  am." 

All  these  words  Pat  poured  forth  with  feverish 
impetuosity,  as  though  anxious  to  tell  everything 
before  he  could  be  interrupted.  Not  a  word  did 
he  say  about  the  other  boys  and  the  donkey.  He 
left  it  to  be  inferred  that  he  was  to  be  blamed  for 
the  donkey  also.  He  intended  —  the  warm-hearted 
Irish  lad  —  that  he  should  be  punished  for  that  too. 

"  Mr.  Long,"  cried  Bart,  bursting  in,  "  since 
Pat  has  told  about  the  owl  himself,  we  can  confess 
our  share.     We  brought  up  the  donkey." 

"  An  it  worn't  a  thrick,"  said  Pat.  "  It  wor  till 
frighten  me,  so  it  wor,  an  make  me  stop  me  bell- 
pullins  an  knockins.  That's  what  it  wor.  An 
didn't  I  get  it  I  I  wor  jest  pullin  the  sthring  that 
wor  fastened  till  the  bell,  whin  the  donkey  let  aff  a 
bray  that  knocked  me  clain  from  me  oun  room  all 
the  way  down  stairs,  head  over  heels,  an  fut  first. 
That's  what  it  did.  An  that's  as  thrue  as  I'm 
standin  here  a  tellin  av  it." 

Mr.  Long  now  began  to  question  them,  and  soon 
all  the  facts  were  elicited.  As  the  truth  became 
known,  the  severity  of  his  manner  relaxed,  and  his 
tone  became  pleasant  and  kindly. 

"  Well,  boys,"  said  he,  "  all  this  puts  the  matter 
in  a  very  different  light.  The  owl  came  and 
screeched  himself.     Pat  was  only  to  blame  for  as- 


/.I 


28G 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   Vllt  SCHOOL. 


sisting  the  excitement.  You  wore  only  to  blame 
for  taking  so  very  violent  a  way  to  stop  the  affair. 
It  might  have  been  stopped  without  that,  if  you 
had  simply  told  all  about  it.  But  I  see  the  odd 
kind  of  motive  you  had.  You  merely  wished  to 
surround  the  denouement,  as  you  say,  with  such 
absurd  accompaniments,  that  no  boy  on  the  hill 
would  ever  dare  to  hint  at  a  ghost  again.  Well,  1 
may  not  like  your  way  of  going  to  work,  but  I  at 
least  understand  your  motives.  I  need  not  say  how 
glad  I  am  at  this  explanation.  I  came  here  under 
a  false  impression,  and  regret  that  I  spoke  with 
such  severity.  The  only  thing  that  I  blame  about 
this  is,  that  it  was  what  is  called  a  practical  joke, 
both  on  Pat's  part  and  on  yours;  and  that  is  a 
thing  which  I  have  always  endeavored  to  put  down. 
Po  now,  boys,"  he  concluded,  "  let  me  say  —  " 

At  this  moment  there  came  a  faint  rap  at  the 
door. 

Mr.  Long  looked  at  the  door,  but  took  no  further 
notice  of  the  sound.  Thinking  it  was  a  mistake, 
he  continued,  in  a  pleasant  cone,  — 

"  Let  me  say,  boys,  that  I  have  such  confidence 
in  all  of  you,  that  I  feel  sure  —  " 

At  this  there  came  another  rap,  somewhat  louder. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Mr.  Long. 

The  door  opened  slowly.  Those  in  the  room 
were  behind  it  as  it  opened,  and  they  could  not  see 
who  was  coming.  Gradually  it  opened,  and  then 
there  stepped  forth  the  venerable  form  of  Captain 


I        I 


CAPTAIN   CORBET. 


287 


Corbet.  Ho  carried  in  liiH  arms  a  little  bundle, 
which  he  held  with  the  tenderest  care  ;  and  there 
was  on  his  face  an  expression  made  up  of*  pride,  of 
triumph,  and  of  a  certain  joyous  conHciousness 
which  he  possessed  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  that 
which  would  not  fail  to  excite  similar  emotions  in 
others. 

The  moment  Mr.  Long  saw  him  and  his  burden, 
he  started  to  his  feet,  looking  very  pale. 

Captain  Corbet  stood  in  the  doorway,  swaying 
his  shoulders  backward  and  forward,  so  as  to  afford 
an  agreeable  motion  to  his  tender  charge  ;  his  head 
hung  on  one  side,  and  he  looked  upon  the  com- 
pany with  that  peculiar  expression  of  benignity 
which  may  be  seen  on  the  face  of  some  indulgent 
father  who  has  prepared  some  rich  treat  for  his 
children. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  venerable  Corbet ;  "  all 
here  —  all  jined  together  on  this  momentuous  oc- 
casion I  An  me  afeared  that  some  on  yew'd  miss 
it  I  Wal,  it  air  lucky — ain't  it  ?  You  see,  the  olo 
woman,  she  went  off  to  see  a  cousin  of  hern,  that's 
got  her  youngest  darter  down  with  the  spotted 
fever,  —  ony  I  dare  say,  arter  all,  it's  ony  the 
measles.  So  I  see  this  here  young  an  tender  infant, 
a  kerowin  in  his  keradle  like  all  possessed ;  an  I 
says,  Now's  the  perpitious  momunt ;  an  I  says  to 
the  offsperin, '  Doozy  wanter  see  Missr  Long,  den  ? 
Doozy  wanter  see  zee  boys  ?  An  so  he  aall ! ' 
Fur,  my  Christian  friens,  I  promised  you,  solemn,  on 


288 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


t' 


'      < 


that  thar  vygo,  that  some  day  I'd  bring  the  babby. 
An  you,  sir,  Mr.  Long,  my  benefactor,  I  vowed  to 
you  that  sence  you'd  saved  this  tender  babe  from 
rewination  arter  his  feyther's  laid  low,  he  should 
come  an  show  you  his  own  self,  and  look  up  in  your 
keountenance,  through  his  blue  orbs,  and  smile 
upon  you  with  his  be-yeau-teefulest  smile  I  An 
thar  he  air.'^ 

Saying  this,  Captain  Corbet  proceeded  to  re- 
move the  coverings  from  the  face  of  his  beloved 
burden. 

Mr.  Long  stood  motionless  and  mute.  His  eyes 
wandered  to  th(^  window.  Captain  Corbet  was 
standing  in  the  doorway,  barring  the  passage,  and 
slowly  and  tenderly  drawing  aside  the  veil  that  hid 
from  view  the  face  that  he  loved. 

Suddenly  Mr.  Long  started. 

His  resolution  was  taken. 

He  wplked  towards  the  door. 

Captain  Corbet  saw  him  not.  His  eyes,  his 
thoughts,  and  his  heart  were  all  engaged  in  his 
delightful  employment. 

"  Ah,  captain,"  said  Mr.  Long,  hurriedly,  "  I  hope 
you're  very  well.  Is  there  anything  I  can  do  for 
you  ?  If  so,  I  can  see  you  some  other  time.  I'm 
in  a  great  hurry.  I've  just  finished  some  business 
which  I  had  with  these  boys.  You  will  have  to  be 
kind  enough  to  excuse  me." 

He  touched  Captain  Corbet's  shoulder,  and  tried 
to  push  him  gently  aside,  so  as  to  pass. 


MR.   LONG  ESCAPES. 


289 


li 


his 
his 


Captain  Corbet's  hand,  which  had  been  removing 
the  coverings,  fell  slowly  to  his  side.  His  face 
turnec^  up  and  confronted  Mr.  Long's  with  an  ex- 
pression of  utter  bewilderment,  as  though  the 
language  which  he  had  heard  was  perfectly  in- 
comprehensible. His  lips  moved,  but  no  sound 
escaped. 

"You'll  have  to  excuse  me,"  said  Mr.  Long, 
kindly.  "  I'm  in  a  great  hurry.  Will  you  allow 
me  to  pass?" 

Mechanically  Captain  Corbet  moved  to  one  side. 
Mr.  Long  hurried  out.  He  descended  the  sta'rc ; 
he  walked  rapidly  out  of  the  Academy,  and  d*  wn 
into  the  village,  and  far,  far  away. 

Captain  Corbet  stood  at  the  doorway  looking  at 
vacancy.  At  length  he  turned.  There  was  a 
certain  blank  amazement  in  his  fa 'e,  a;  though  h  ) 
could  not  yet  underetand  what  had  hap[    ned. 

"  He  said  he  was  in  a  hurry  1 "  he  muriuUn  ? 
"  He's  gone  I  actilly  —  an  raelly  —  and  terewly  — 
gone  —  an  seek  a  chance  !  Why,  it'll  never  (;'>m« 
agin,  may  be.  An  he's  ben  an  missed  it  —  l*>8t 
it  —  actilly  therrown  it  away  I  Boys,"  he  con- 
tinued, after  a  pause,  in  a  hollow  voice,  "am  I  a 
dereamin  ?  " 

"  0,  no,  captain,"  said  Bart,  cheerily.  "  You're 
wide  awake.     Come  in  and  sit  down." 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 

"  Pinch  me  I  "  said  he,  in  the  same  tragic  tone. 

No  one  jbeyed. 
19 


I  ! 


1.             [■■:*' 

M.'] 

;  :■; ;  . 

1             '      '  '   ■     i'  '  ■ 

'  « 


290 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


Captain  Corbet  heaved  a  heavy  sigh. 

"  No,"  said  he.  "  I  feel  that  I'm  awake.  Here's 
the  babby  —  here's  its  parient.  But  I  must  rest, 
an  meditate  over  this  harrowin  occurrience." 

Saying  this,  he  walked  forward,  and  seated  him- 
self in  Mr.  Long's  vacated  chair. 

"  Thar,"  he  exclaimed,  after  a  long  silence,  rais- 
ing his  meek  face,  and  solemnly  regarding  the  boys. 
"  Thar,  it  air  over  I  That  dream  hath  past  and  fled, 
an  the  feeble  idee  I  ben  a  hevin  of  Mr.  Long's  bet- 
ter natoor  air  totially  overtherrown  by  that  muve  ! 
For  it  was  a  perroud  hope  of  the  aged  and  tew 
sangu-wine  Corbet  to  give  thanks  to  the  man  that 
delivered  him  from  rewination  in  the  most  ef- 
fectooil  way,  by  a  bringin  of  the  babby  face  tew 
face  with  his  benefacture,  an  a  teachin  of  the 
tender  infant  to  summile  on  the  author  of  his 
footur  fortin.  We  met,"  he  continued,  as  a  darker 
shade  came  over  his  venerable  countenance.  "  We 
met,  an  I  thot  we'd  feel  a  mootooil  jy.  I  stood  a 
lingerin  long  by  yonder  open  portial,  a  holdin  of 
him  in  suspense,  an  a  pictoorin  tew  myself  his  silent 
raptoor.  Why,  do  you  know,  boys,  I'd  even  made 
up  my  mind  to  let  him  hold  the  babby, — jest  for  a 
leetle,  —  if  he  begged  hard,  an  if  the  infant  didn't 
cry.  That's  what  I  was  a  keepin  in  store  for  him. 
What  do  ye  think  of  that  now  ?  " 

And  after  this  announcement  of  his  late  plan,  he 
looked  earnestly  at  the  boys  to  witness  the  full 
effect  of  that  disclosure. 


lere's 
:  rest, 

d  him- 

e,  rais- 
5  boys, 
id  fled, 
j's  bet- 
muve ! 
id  tew 
m  that 
ost  ef- 
36  tew 
of  the 
of  his 
darker 
"We 
itood  a 
idin  of 
3  silent 
a  made 
for  a 
didn't 
3r  him. 

)lan,  he 
;he  fuU 


I.  I 


11 


fl\\'r 


i    I 


4 


'J'i 


iiir-i 


i 


In 


11 
f1 


CAPTAIN   CORBET'S   GRIEF. 


291 


"  An  what  was  the  result  ?  Did  he  spering  tew 
meet  me  ?  Did  he  clasp  the  babe  ?  Did  he  evince 
a  mite  of  yearnin  or  kimpassion  ?  Did  he  even  try 
to  get  a  sight  of  the  pootiest  ittle  face  zat  ever 
was  —  bress  him."  Here  Captain  Corbet  began  to 
show  signs  of  growing  maudlin,  but  he  checked 
himself  and  went  on.  "  He  !  not  he.  What  did  he 
do,  young  sirs  ?  You  saw  him.  Bar  witness  tew 
what  I  say.  He  took  his  departoor.  He  fel-led, 
like  an  evil  sperrit,  at  the  approach  of  that  cherub. 
An  I  —  I  felt  it  sore  —  I  felt  it  —  an  I  feel  it  still, 
—  yes,  I  do,  —  yea,  even  down  to  tho  toes  of  my 
butes  ! " 

Here  followed  a  long  silence,  which  the  boys  did 
not  break,  for  they  aid  not  know  what  to  say  to 
soothe  the  woes  of  the  ajfflicted  captain.  At  length 
he  looked  up,  and  went  on  in  a  tone  of  sadness,  in 
which  might  be  detected  something  like  resent- 
ment. 

"  Fust  opinions  is  alius  krect.  You  mind,  boys, 
what  I  told  you  on  the  briny  deep.  I  said  that  the 
heart  of  Mr.  Long  was  as  hard  as  the  neither  mile- 
stone. Terew,  when,  on  that  eventfooil  trile,  he 
riz  up  for  me,  an  fit  down  my  fiendish  prosecooter, 
an  gently  tetched  him  up  on  the  roar  by  that 
tremenjuous  outbust  abeout  the  babby  ;  when  all 
that  was  a  happenin,  I  did  think  I'd  a  leetle  mis- 
jedged  him.  But  did  I  ?  No.  I  come  to  show  a 
parient's  gratitood  by  presentin  before  him  my 


n\ 


^ 


I  ' 


292 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


most  perecious  treasoor.  An  what  was  the  result  ? 
What  ?  Why,  he  met  me  with  his  habitooil  hard- 
heartedness.  I  found  him  stiff  as  a  marbial  statoot, 
cold  an  freezin  as  a  icicle,  rugged  an  onfeelin  as  a 
rocky  precipious  ! " 

As  he  ended,  he  rose  from  his  chair.  The  boys 
now  gathered  about  him,  and  asked  him  to  come 
up  to  Bart's  room,  just  overhead,  and  let  them  see 
his  infant.  They  addressed  consoling  words  to  him, 
and  sought  to  smooth  down  his  ruffled  feelings. 

But  Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head. 

"  No,  boys,"  said  he,  "  thankee  kindly.  You're  all 
right,  —  'tain't  you,  'tain't  your  fault,  —  but  I  feel 
sore.  There's  somethin  opperessive  in  this  here 
intellectooil  atmpsphiour.  I  must  seek  elsewhere 
for  comfort  to  my  ruffled  busom.  Thankee  kindly, 
boys.  Some  other  time,  not  now  —  some  other 
time." 

Saying  this,  the  aged  captain  left  the  room, 
and  descended  the  stairs,  and  took  his  departure. 
The  boys  watched  his  venerable  figure  till  it 
paased  out  of  sight ;  and  the  slow  pace,  and  bent 
head,  and  mournful  mood  of  their  beloved  navigator 
touched  all  their  hearts  with  a  common  feeling  of 
sympathy. 

As  Captain  Corbet's  retreating  figure  disap- 
peared from  view,  the  boys  turned  away,  and 
walked  slowly  along  the  front  of  the  Academy, 
with  a  vague  idea  of  taking  a  walk   up   to  the 


THE   RELICS. 


293 


camp.  But  before  they  had  gone  any  great  dis- 
tance they  met  Dr.  Porter. 

"  Boys,"  said  he,  "  you'll  be  glad  to  know  that 
your  French  relics  are  all  labelled,  and  are  now 
ready  to  be  taken  to  the  Museum." 

"  May  we  take  them  there,  sir  ?  " 

«  0,  yes." 

«  When  ?  " 

"  Now,  if  you  like.  I'll  go  back  to  the  house, 
and  let  you  have  them." 

Saying  this  the  doctor  turned  back  towards  the 
house,  followed  by  the  boys. 

They  found  the  articles  all  neatly  labelled,  and 
their  names  written  upon  each  label  as  discoverers 
and  donors.  All  looked  delighted  except  Bart. 
He  read  the  label  on  the  bone,  and  there  was  an 
expression  on  his  face  which  did  not  escape  the 
notice  of  the  doctor. 

''  What's  the  matter,  Bart  ?  "  he  asked.  "  You 
don't  seem  pleased." 

"  Why,  sir,"  said  Bart,  "  I  didn't  think  that  this 
bone  belonged  to  —  to  thatJ^ 

"  Why,  what  did  you  think  that  it  did  belong  to  ?" 

"Well,  sir,  I  thought  that  it  belonged  to  tho 
owner  of  the  house." 

"  The  owner  of  the  house  I "  said  the  doctor,  with 
a  laugh.  "  Well,  not  directly.  It  belonged  to  his 
horse,  as  I  think,  but  Mr.  Simmons  thinks  it  was 
his  cow.  That  is  the  only  way  in  which  it  ever 
belonged  to  him." 


n 


204 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRfe  SCHOOL. 


I  I 


'  * 


Bart  looked  ineffably  disgusted. 

"  Then  it's  no  use  putting  an  old  cow  bone  in  the 
Museum,"  said  he. 

"  0,  yes/'  said  the  doctor.  "  It  was  found  beside 
the  plough,  and  perhaps  belonged  to  the  horse  or 
ox  that  dragged  it.  From  that  point  of  view  it  is 
a  very  interesting  relic." 

Bart  said  no  more,  and  soon  the  boys  retired  on 
their  way  to  the  Museum,  bearing  their  treasures 
with  them. 

"  Boys,"  said  Bruce,  "  it  will  never  do  for  us  to 
carry  these  things  up  without  making  some  demon- 
stration or  other.  It  isn't  every  day  that  we  are 
presenting  things  to  the  Museum  that  we've  dug 
out  of  the  ground." 

''  That's  a  capital  idea,"  cried  Bart,  who  by  tins 
time  had  recovered  from  the  shock  of  his  disap- 
pointment. 

"  So  I  say,"  said  Arthur ;  "  but  what  shall  we 
do  ?  " 

"  O,  let's  have  a  speech,  and  a  poem,  and  a  pro- 
cession," said  Phil. 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  "  Bruce  can  make  the  speech, 
and  Bart  can  make  the  poem." 

This  was  agreed  upon,  and  it  was  decided  that 
the  ceremony  should  come  off  immediately  before 
tea-time.  They  had  an  hour  yet,  and  that  gave 
them  ample  time.  Soon  the  news  spread  abroad, 
and  all  the  boys  flocked  to  the  spot.     Bruce  as- 


bruce's  speech. 


295 


cended  the  portico,  and  stood  there  with  the 
French  rehcs  at  his  feet. 

Bruce  had  not  had  much  time  for  preparation ; 
but  then  he  was  very  quick  at  impromptu  speeches, 
and  the  occasion  did  not  demand  anything  more 
than  this.  Bart  stood  near,  scribbling  something 
in  his  memorandum-book. 

After  arranging  the  things  in  an  effective  row, 
and  putting  all  the  coins  inside  the  iron  pot,  Bruce 
commenced. 

Holding  up  the  iron  pot,  and  rattling  the  coins, 
he  began  by  giving  a  humorous  description  of  their 
search  after  it.  Without  going  very  deeply  into 
the  real  particulars  of  the  case,  he  introduced  into 
his  burlesque  narrative  quite  a  number  of  the 
actual  facts.  After  finishing  this  description,  he 
showed  the  identical  pot  of  money  which  they  had 
exhumed,  and  it  was  passed  round  from  hand  to 
hand. 

Bruce  then  exhibited  the  ploughshare,  and  the 
other  irons.  The  plough,  he  assured  them,  be- 
longed to  the  first  settler  on  this  classic  spot.  The 
bolts  had  fastened  it  together,  and  the  chain  had 
drawn  it  through  the  ground.  It  was  this  plough, 
of  which  these  were  the  interesting  relics,  that 
had  reclaimed  the  hill  from  its  original  wilderness 
state,  and  made  possible  the  existence  of  that  great 
and  glorious  school  to  which  they  at  present  had 
the  pro"^  privilege  of  belonging. 


i' 


t 
>  ■ 


296 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


!    i 


I  ;■ 


'       1 


Finally-;  he  exhibited  the  bone.  Dr.  Porter,  he 
said,  thought  it  was  the  bone  of  a  horse ;  while 
Mr.  Simmons  thought  that  it  once  had  belonged  to 
a  cow,  or  perhaps  an  ox.  For  his  part,  ho  had  a 
theory  of  his  own.  He  thought  that  it  was  the 
bone  of  that  nightmare  that  had  been  making  such 
a  disturbance  among  them  during  the  last  week. 
That  bone  was  now  going  into  the  Museum,  and 
he  was  confident  that  the  peculiar  animal  to 
which  it  belonged  would  never  trouble  the  school 
again. 

As  Bruce  ended,  he  was  greeted  with  three 
cheers.  Three  more  followed  for  the  plough ;  three 
for  the  pot  of  money ;  and  three  for  the  bone. 

After  this,  Bart  arose  with  his  memorandum- 
book,  in  which  he  had  been  diligently  scribbling. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  *'  after  the  able,  polished, 
elegant,  eloquent,  ornate,  and  thoroughly  exhaus- 
tive address  from  my  learned  friend,  who  has  just 
sat  down,  it  would  be  quite  out  of  my  power  to  say 
anything.  Besides,  I'm  appointed  to  give  the  poem. 
The  subject  is  connected  with  one  of  the  articles 
before  us.  I  mean  the  bone.  Dr.  Porter  has  one 
theory;  Mr.  Simmons  another;  my  learned  friend 
has  a  third.  For  my  part,  I  have  my  own  theory, 
which  I  adopted  at  the  moment  of  its  discovery, 
and  which  I  still  maintain.  This,  gentlemen,  is 
the  subject  of  my  poem." 

After  which  Bart  read  the  following  from  his 
memorandum-book :  — 


bart's  poem. 


297 


<( 


(i 


"  THE  TRUE  THEORY  OF  THE  BONE. 

"  0,  I'm  the  bone  of  a  Parley  Voo 
That  settled  in  Minas  Bay, 
That  dammed  the  marshes,  and  cleared  the  woods. 
And  called  the  place  Grand  Pre. 

"  And  the  grain  it  riz,  and  the  settlement  growed, 
And  werry  content  were  we. 
With  our  cattle  and  pigs,  and  hosses  and  gigs, 
And  beautiful  scener»e. 

And  there  it  was  nothing  but  Nong-tong-paw, 

Et  cetera,  from  morning  to  night. 
And  Mercy,  madame,  and  Wee,  moo-soo,  — 

We  were  all  so  werry  polite. 

But  the  Britishers  came,  and  druv  us  off; 

So  I  took  to  my  heels,  and  ran. 
And  one  of  tliem  chased  me,  and  quick  I  went 

For  rather  an  elderly  man. 

And  he  had  a  gun,  and  I  had  none ; 

And  he  fired  that  gun  at  me ; 
And  he  shot  my  leg,  and  off  it  dropped, 

Which  was  rather  a  bother,  you  see. 

"  But  I  seized  my  leg,  and  I  hopped  away, 
As  quick  as  quick  could  be. 
And  the  Britisher  loaded  his  gun  agin, 
For  another  shot  at  me. 

«'  But  I  dodged  the  Britisher  in  the  woods, 
And  took  the  leg  that  was  shot, 
And  buried  it  under  the  apple  tree, 
In  this  werry  identical  spot. 

"  And  I'm  the  wexry  identical  bone 
Of  the  leg  of  the  Parley  Voo 
That  was  buried  beneath  the  apple  tree, 
And  dug  up  again  by  you ! " 


i( 


ft 


& 


u 


298 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PRfe   SCHOOL. 


This  closed  the  proceedings. 

A  procession  was  then  formed,  headed  by  the 
"  B.  0.  W.  C./'  who  led  tho  way  to  the  Museum. 

There  they  deposited  the  exhumed  Acadian 
relics ;  and,  if  tiiey  haven't  been  taken  away, 
they're  lying  there  still. 


il 


'    < 


THE   ACADIANS. 


299 


XXII. 


2%e  Boys  in  the  Museum.  —  Tlie  Doctor^ a  Lecture. 
—  The  Acadians.  —  Louisbourg.  —  A  Journey 
to  the  Wharf.  —  The  Antelope.  —  Captain  Pratt. 

^HE  presence  of  Dr.  Porter  in  the  Museum 
repressed  to  some  extent  the  merriment  of 
the  boys,  and  the  newly-arrived  articles 
were  deposited  in  a  conspicuous  place,  where  the;' 
could  not  fail  to  attract  attention.  The  Museum 
had  grown  up  slowly  under  the  joint  care  of  the 
doctor  and  Mr.  Simmons,  the  former  of  whom  de- 
voted himself  to  the  archasological,  and  the  latter 
to  the  mineralogical  department.  With  each  of 
these  gentlemen  it  was  a  hobby.  The  delight  of 
the  doctor  at  these  exhumed  French  relics  has 
already  been  described  :  and,  at  the  present  time, 
their  formal  assignment  to  their  proper  location 
here  served  to  stimulate  his  enthusiasm,  and  started 
him  off  upon  a  favorite  theme  of  his  —  the  exiled 
Acadians.  About  these  he  had  much  to  say.  He 
showed  all  the  relics  which  he  had  slowly  accumu- 
lated here ;  he  told  many  stories  of  discoveries  of 


300 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR£  SCHOOL. 


1 

1 
t 

'i 

'. 

1 

t 

1 

hi.s  own;  mid  fiimlly,  going  to  a  small  choHt,  he, 
drew  Ibrtli  hdiuo  pupors. 

"  1  promised  to  show  you  some  of  tlieso,"  said 
ho,  "  when  we  were  over  on  the  North  Mountain. 
Everything  in  the  banishment  of  the  Acadians  was 
Jiard  and  harsli,  and  cannot  be  thought  of  now 
witliout  indignation.  Not  the  least  repulsive  thing 
about  this  business  is  the  way  in  which  they  wore 
sent  off.  Many  people  supposo  that  they  were 
sent  away  in  the  large  ships  of  the  British  fleet. 
That  was  not  the  case.  They  were  packed  in  a 
number  of  small  vessels  hired  at  Boston  ;  most  of 
them  were  schooners.  The  whole  thing  was  taken 
under  contract  by  a  Boston  firm  —  Messrs.  Ap- 
thorp  &  Hancock.  All  their  bills  which  they  sent 
in  to  the  Nova  Scotia  government  are  now  in  the 
archives,  and  I  have  copies  of  them.  See ;  here 
is  one  for  a  specimen." 

And  he  showed  the  following,  which  the  boys 
passed  from  hand  to  hand :  — 

Messrs.  Apthorp  &  Hancock, 

To  Zkdad  Forman,  Db. 

To  hire  of  sloop  Dolphin,  myself  master,  from 
25th  August  to  20th  February,  1756,  is  5  months 
26  days  s  £46  8  pr  month £272  .4.3 

For  a  Pilot  as  pr  cliarter  party  @  60s  pr  month.  .  17.12.0 

To  carrying  56  neutralls  more  than  his  comp't 
of  two  to  a  ton,  @  9s  pr  two  Halifax  curr'y 
€12  12  0  is  lawful  money  per  Captain  Murray's 
directions 15  .2.5 


£304.18.8 


M 


THE  ACADIANS.  301 

To  cash  paid  for  l^ovisions  at  Maryltind  to  sup- 
ply 230  French  ncutralls  after  the  rrovisiuns 
ruc'd  of  Mr.  Saul  was  expended. 

18.2.28.    Flour  3  Us £41  .2.0 

14.2.15.     Bread  ®  18s 13  .3.2 

11.2.26.     Beef  and  Pork  ®  208 11.14.8 

1  cord  Wood 0.14.0 

I'd  fur  water  at  Hampton 0  .2.6 

For  a  Protest 0.10.0 

Two  journeys  Crom  Lower  Marlbro  to  Annapolis 
by  Qov'h  order 4  .0.0 

71  .0.4 
In  dollars  at  7s  6d  makes  lawful  mi»;iey  ®  68      .  57  .1.1 

£361.19.9 

"  Ah,  boys,"  said  the  doctor,  mournfully,  "  how 
much  of  human  anguish  may  we  read  there  I  how 
many  broken  hearts  I  how  much  despair  appears 
before  us  in  those  remorseless  figures  I  Think  of 
the  name  of  Hancock  being  associated  with  a 
thing  like  that.  "  Neutralls  "  they  were  —  two 
hundred  and  thirty  "  neutralls "  at  so  much  per 
head.  Perhaps  among  those  poor  exiles,  con- 
tracted for  at  so  much  per  head  by  that  Boston 
firm,  there  was  some  Evangeline  looking  over  the 
sea,  with  her  white  lips  and  her  eyes  of  despair. 

"  Still,"  continued  the  doctor,  after  some  silence, 
"  the  English  didn't  have  it  all  their  own  way. 
There  were  several  occasions  in  which  the  Aca- 
dians  were  able  to  baffle  them.  One  place  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  the  River  Polilcodiac. 
Here  the  French  were  in  league  with  the  Indians, 


i: 


. 


,rl 


"Off 


IB 


;!!?■ 


302 


THE   BOrS   OP   GRAND   PRE   SCHOOL. 


as  indeed  they  were  throughout  the  whole  of  Cana- 
da and  Acadie ;  and  when  a  detachment  of  troops 
was  sent  there  to  capture  them,  they  retreated  to 
the  woods.  Tlie  troops  made  a  descent  at  one  place, 
where  they  found  twenty-five  women  and  children. 
These  they  were  merciless  enough  to  make  prison- 
ers. Then  they  went  through  the  country  devastat- 
ing it,  and  seeking  thus  to  ruin  the  poor  fugitives. 
It  was  villanous  work.  They  Vurned  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  houses  and  a  church.  At  last 
the  French  made  an  attack  on  them,  and  they 
were  forced  to  retreat.  Had  the  French  shown  a 
little  more  enterprise,  they  could  have  destroyed 
them ;  as  it  was,  the  troops  got  off  without  much 
loss.  There  was  another  instance  when  the 
French  got  the  better  of  their  enemies.  It  was  a 
vessel  that  was  carrying  over  two  hundred  of 
them  from  Annapolis  to  Carolina.  The  Frencli 
rose,  and  got  command  of  the  vessel,  and  put  into 
the  River  St.  John.  The  English  heard  of  it,  and 
sent  a  vessel  after  them  with  British  soldiers  dis- 
guised as  French.  But  the  fugitives  discovered 
the  trick,  and  not  being  able  to  cope  with  their 
enemies,  they  set  fire  to  the  vessel,  and  escaped 
to  the  woods. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  abominable  cruelty  in 
different  parts.  Wherever  they  could  not  make 
prisoners,  they  burned  their  houses,  in  the  hope  of 
starving  them  to  death.  Whole  districts  were 
thus  devastated.     The  descendants  of  these  peo- 


THE   ACADIANS. 


303 


1 


•  I . 


their 
5caped 


pie  remember  all  tins  yet,  and  c\n  tell  many  a  tale 
of  misery.  Many  of  the  exiles  gradually  worked 
their  way  back,  and  found  new  homes  for  them- 
selves in  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  their 
descendants  are-  scattered  all  about  the  coasts  of 
Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick.  They  are 
curiously  like  their  ancestors.  Simple,  innocent, 
joyous,  peaceful,  there  is  but  little  crime  among 
them ;  and  though  they  are  not  so  progressive  as 
we  are,  yet  they  have  other  qualities  which  may 
compensate  for  the  absence  of  our  more  practical 
faculties.  They  are  certainly  very  stationary;  so 
much  so,  indeed,  that  some  acute  observers  de- 
clare that  they  have  not  advanced  so  much  as 
their  kindred  in  France.  They  say  that  our  Aca- 
dians  are  more  like  the  French  peasantry  of  a 
hundred  years  ago  than  the  French  themselves 
are  at  the  present  day.  This  is  particularly  the 
case  in  the  more  remote  districts,  such  as  the  Bay 
de  Chaleur.  I  have  often  been  there  myself,  and 
every  time  I  visit  one  of  their  villages  in  that  dis- 
trict, I  recall  some  of  the  descriptions  of  the 
Grand  Pr^  Acadians  in  Longfellow's  Evangeline." 

Here  the  doctor  began  to  tell  some  anecdotes, 
and  then  went  on  speaking  of  other  things,  until 
at  length  he  stopped  in  front  of  a  rusty  cannon- 
ball,  which  lay  on  a  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
room. 

"  Here,"   said  he,  "  is   something  which  I  re- 


'.  i 


304 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRfe  SCHOOL. 


ceived  a  few  days  ago,  and  I  think  it  is  almost 
equal  to  the  Acadian  plough." 

"  V^hat  is  it  ? '' 

''  It's  a  cannon-ball  from  Louisbourg ;  and  though 
T  don't  know,  of  course,  for  certain,  yet  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  that  it  is  a  relic  of  the  first 
siege." 

"  How  can  you  tell,  sir,"  asked  Bruce,  "  whether 
it  is  the  first  siege  or  the  second." 

"  0,  for  that  matter,  I  can't  tell  at  all  very 
clearly ;  only  the  spot  where  this  was  found 
makes  it  more  likely  to  have  been  fired  at  the  first 
than  the  second.  Besides,  the  first  siege  is  far 
more  interesting  to  v«,  since  it  was  the  act  of 
British  Provincials,  and  an  exploit  quite  unparal- 
leled in  its  way." 

"  Why,  sir,  I  always  thought  that  the  second 
siege  was  one  of  the  greatest  achievements  in 
war.  Were  there  any  generals  in  the  first  equal 
to  Wolfe,  or  any  other  men  equal  to  Boscawen, 
and  Rodney,  and  Amherst  ?  " 

"  I'm  glad  you  put  it  in  that  way,"  replied  the 
doctor.  "  No ;  in  the  first  expedition  there  are 
no  names  so  brilliant  as  these.  Pepperell  was  a 
merchant,  and  a  colonel  in  the  militia.  Whether 
that  makes  his  exploit  the  more  glorious  or  not, 
£  leave  you  to  judge.  But  this  much  is  true,  that 
about  the  first  siege  there  was  a  reckless  dash,  and 
gallantry,  and  romantic  heroism  which  we  cannot 
find  in  the  second.     Mind  you,  it  was  all  the  work 


%  '' 


1 


SIEGE  OP  L0UI3B0URG. 


305 


est 


agh 
lave 
fir3t 

ither 

very 
bund 
!  first 
s  far 
3t  of 
paral- 

econd 
its  in 
equal 
awen, 

ed  the 
re  are 
was  a 
hetlier 
or  not, 
le,  that 
Lsh,  and 
cannot 
le  work 


of  a  lot  of  farmers,  fresh  from  the  plough,  raw 
militia,  and  how  they  could  get  such  a  plan  into 
their  heads  I  cannot  imagine.  I  have  often  thought 
that  it  was  their  very  ignorance  that  emboldened 
them.  It  was  principally  the  work  of  Massachu- 
setts, though  the  other  New  England  Provinces 
took  some  share  in  it.  The  idea  was  started  there, 
and  the  governor  took  it  up  very  earnestly.  So 
they  raised  four  thousand  men  and  a  fleet  of  thir- 
teen vessels,  which  was  a  wonderful  thing  to  be 
done  by  so  thinly  peopled  and  so  young  a  commu- 
nity. At  first  they  intended  to  have  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  British  fleet,  but  the  commodore  de- 
clined; and  it  was  only  after  he  had  sailed  to 
Boston  under  orders  from  the  British  government, 
and  found  the  New  England  expedition  gone, 
that  he  followed  them,  and  so  took  part  in  it ;  for 
Governor  Shirley  and  the  New  England  militiamen 
resolved  to  go  on,  whether  the  commodore  helped 
them  or  not ;  and  so  they  did  go  on.  But  it  was 
all  right  in  the  end,  for  the  British  fleet  came  up 
with  them,  and  they  went  on  in  company  to  their 
destination. 

-'  They  landed  at  Gabarus  Bay,  south  of  Louis- 
bourg,  and  behind  the  town.  It  was  the  thirtieth 
of  April,  very  early  in  the  season,  cold  and  foggy. 
The  French  were  there  already  to  dispute  the 
landing,  but  they  outwitted  them  most  dexterously. 
It  was  cold,  and  boisterous,  and  foggy,  as  I  have 
said,  and  never  did  any  men  have  harder  work  in 
20 


■I 


306 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRfc  SCHOOL. 


getting  their  arms  and  stores  on  shore ;  but  all 
this  was  accomplished  at  last.  The  next  day, 
Major  Vaughn,  with  four  hundred  men,  went  past 
the  city  up  to  the  harbor,  and  set  on  fire  some 
warehouses.  They  liiade  a  great  smoke,  and  the 
soldiers  in  the  Royal  Battery,  one  of  the  chief 
works,  spiked  the  guns,  and  fled  in  a  panic.  On 
the  following  day,  Vaughn,  with  thirteen  men,  came 
near  the  fort,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  be  deserted, 
they  advanced  cautiously,  and  finally  entered  it. 
They  hadn't  any  flag ;  so  one  of  the  soldiers  climbed 
the  flag-staff"  with  his  red  coat  in  his  teeth,  and 
nailed  this  to  the  staff"  as  a  flag.  Vaughn  then 
sent  word  to  General  Pepperell,  *  May  it  please 
your  honor  to  be  informed  that,  by  the  grace  of 
God  and  the  courage  of  thirteen  men,  I  entered 
the  Royal  Battery  about  nine  o'clock,  and  am 
waiting  for  reenforcements.'  But  before  reenforce- 
ments  could  come,  the  French  at  Louisbourg  had 
seen  them,  and  sent  a  hundred  men  in  boats  to 
regain  possession.  Vaughn  and  his  men,  however, 
were  ready  for  them,  and  the  little  band  gave  them 
so  warm  a  reception,  that  they  actually  drove 
them  back,  and  held  possession  till  reenforcements 
came.  Then  the  Royal  Battery's  guns  were  re- 
mounted, some  new  ones  brought,  and  all  these 
were  turned  upon  the  city,  and  this  battery  did 
not  a  little  towards  the  final  capture. 

"  It  strikes  me  that  this  was  an   uncommonly 
plucky  thing  to  do,"  continued  the  doctor,  "and 


^ 


FARMERS   AS   FIGHTERS. 


307 


this  incident  is  but  one  among  many.     The  whole 
siege  is  full  of  such  exploits.     The  character  of 
the  besieging  army  was  odd  in  the  extreme.     The 
lads  worked  like  oxen  at  their  duties,  toiling  away 
in  the  surf,  and  in  the  swamp,  and  in  the  woods, 
and  yet  at  the  same  time  presenting  an  appearance 
of  disorder   that  was   shocking  to  the  martinets 
who  were    present.     In    front    they   fought  like 
tigers,  but  in  the  rear  each  man  did  what  seemed 
right  in  his  own  eyes.     In  front  there  was  bom- 
barding ;  in  the  rear  frolicking,  racing,  wrestling, 
and  pitching  quoits,  running  after  the  shot  from 
the   fortress,  so  as  to  get  the   bounty  that  was 
offered.     These  honest  lads  knew  nothing  at  all 
about  engineering,  or  regular  approaches.     The 
engineers  who   were   present   spoke  of  parallels 
and  zigzags ;  but  the  mihtiamen  laughed  at  what 
they  called  their  outlandish  gibberish,  and  made 
their  approaches  to  the  enemy  in  their  own  home- 
spun  way.     How  do  you  think  they  contrived  to 
do  it  ?     Why,  by  making  a  bold  advance  by  night, 
and  throwing   up  an  earthwork,  and  intrenching 
themselves    before   morning.     In   this   way   they 
continued  their  advance,  to  the  utter  confusion  of 
the  professional  engineers.     The  fact  is,  the  au- 
dacity  of  pure   courage   meets  with   astonishing 
successes.     L'audace,  Vaudace  toujours  Vaudace, 
is  a  French  saying,  which  was  exemplified  before 
the  eyes  of  Frenchmen  throughout  all  this  first 
siege.     The   commandant  at   Louisbourg  thought 


.:t.l 


.J. 


308 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


f 


there  was  an  Jirmy  of  thirteen  thousand  men  be- 
sieging him,  and  all  the  time  the  army  amounted 
to  less  than  four  thousand  farmers. 

"  And  so  the  men  carried  on  their  siege,  with 
their  valor  and  their  laughter,  their  heroism  and 
their  sport,  their  sufferings  and  their  mirth  ;  fight- 
ing in  front,  frolicking  in  the  rear ;  enjoying  life 
like  boys,  but  facing  death  like  men.  And  that 
was  the  way  they  took  Louisbourg.  When  the 
gallant  fellows  marched  into  the  stronghold  which 
they  had  captured,  then  first  they  seemed  to  have 
an  adequate  idea  of  their  undertaking.  They 
looked  around  upon  the  formidable  batteries,  the 
granite  walls,  the  intricate  gate-ways,  and  the 
mighty  ramparts,  and  were  half  appalled  at  the 
immensity  of  their  success.  And,  indeed,  the 
success  may  well  be  called  immense.  It  was  a 
wonderful  thing,  when  we  think  who  it  was  that 
achieved  it.  The  success  is  all  the  more  striking 
when  we  consider  the  vast  preparations  that  were 
made  for  the  second  siege.  That  second  siege 
does  not  seem  to  me  to  be  at  all  equal  to  the  first 
in  point  of  romantic  interest ;  and  then  again,  the 
fact  that  there  was  a  second  siege  is  of  itself  a 
stigma  on  the  British  government,  for  so  readily 
giving  back  to  the  French  what  had  been  so  gal- 
lantly won.  The  blood  of  those  brave  fellows  had 
all  been  shed  in  vain ;  the  work  had  all  to  be  done 
over  again,  and  more  blood  had  to  be  shed  before 
that  mistake  could  be  rectified.     But  when  that 


A  GREAT  QUESTION. 


309 


111 

ill 


1  be- 
nted 

with 
L  and 
fight- 
y  life 
I  that 
n  the 
which 
)  have 

They 
es,  the 
id  the 
at  the 
)d,  the 

was  a 
as  that 
itrikiiig 

it  were 
siege 
Ihe  first 
lain,  the 

itself  a 
readily 
so  gal- 

ows  had 

jbe  done 
before 

len  that 


mistake  was  rectified,  and  Louisbourg  was  taken  a 
second  time,  there  was  a  very  different  minister  at 
the  head  of  affairs ;  the  struggle  with  the  French 
was  begun  on  a  gigantic  scale,  and  did  not  end 
until  the  French  power  on  this  continent  had  been 
crushed  under  the  ruins  of  Quebec." 

With  these  words  the  doctor  ended  his  remarks ; 
and  as  it  was  now  late,  the  boys  all  retired  to  their 
respective  rooms,  where  they  passed  the  remainder 
of  the  evening  in  study. 

It  usually  takes  several  days  for  boys  to  settle 
down  fairly  to  school  work  at  the  beginning  of  any 
new  term ;  and  so,  after  this  vacation,  it  was  some 
time  before  the  school  work  could  be  fairly 
grappled  with.  The  remembrance  of  the  events 
of  the  past  days  was  strong  in  the  minds  of  all, 
and  for  a  time  prevented  that  application  which 
wafj  desirable.  A  stronger  effort  than  usual  was 
required  in  order  to  force  the  mind  to  its  task,  and 
a  longer  time  was  needed  in  order  to  master  that 
task. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  school  had  recom- 
menced, the  boys  of  the  B.  O.  W.  C.  were  discuss- 
ing the  important  question  of  the  disposal  of  their 
time  for  that  afternoon.  School  was  already  over. 
The  other  boys  had  scattered  in  different  direc- 
tions ;  some  to  the  dike  lands,  some  to  the  fields, 
and  some  to  the  woods. 

**  Where  shall  we  go,  boys  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  To  the  woods,"  said  Phil. 


11 


310 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


I  1 1 


11  i 


"  To  Gaspereaux,"  said  Arthur. 

"  A  game  of  cricket/'  said  Tom. 

"  No,  boys,"  said  Bruce  ;  "  let's  go  down  and  see 
what's  become  of  the  old  Antelope," 

"  That's  the  idea,"  said  Bart,  "  the  glorious  old 
Antelope.  Let's  have  one  last  look  at  her.  By 
this  time,  perhaps,  she  is  half  covered  with  mud. 
It  was  a  soft  place,  I  think,  where  she  was  lying, 
and  she  will  soon  be  buried  out  of  sight ;  so  let's 
have  one  final  look  at  her  before  we  lose  sight  of 
her  forever." 

This  proposal  was  in  the  highest  degree  satis- 
factory to  the  other  boys,  and  soon  they  started 
down  the  road  to  the  place  where  the  Antelope 
lay.  On  reaching  the  place,  they  found  that  it  was 
high  tide,  and  the  ill-fated  schooner  lay  in  the  same 
place  where  they  had  seen  her  last,  far  over  on 
her  side,  with  her  masts  pointing  downward.  The 
tide  had  risen  so  high  that  it  covered  more  than 
half  of  her,  leaving  only  part  visible.  The  upper 
parts  of  her  masts  also  were  covered.  At  such  a 
melancholy  spectacle  the  boys  stood  for  some  time 
in  solemn  silence.  Another  schooner  lay  not  far 
away,  at  a  wharf,  but  they  felt  no  curiosity  about 
her.  All  their  thoughts  were  taken  up  with  the 
Antelope. 

"And  so  this  is  the  end  of  her,"  said  Bruce, 
solemnly. 

"  Hie  jacdf  as  Captain  Corbet  said,"  remarked 
Phil. 


THE  ANTELOPE. 


311 


id  see 

us  old 

'.    By 

mud. 

lying, 
,0  let's 

ight  of 

3  satis- 
started 
ntelope 
b  it  was 
le  same 
)ver  on 
i.    The 
re  than 
e  upper 
t  such  a 
me  time 
not  far 
ty  about 
ivith  the 

i  Bruce, 

•emarked 


; 


"  Who  would  have  thought  that  her  end  was  so 
near?"  said  Arthur. 

"  And  think,"  said  Tom,  "  of  the  old  craft,  after 
escaping  so  many  perils,  meeting  her  fate  here  at 
her  own  wharf." 

"It's  the  old  saying  reali.7ed,"  said  Bart,  — the 
sailor  shipwrecked  within  sight  of  home." 

"  But  I  say,  Bart,  she  doesn't  seem  to  have  sunk 
any  deeper  in  the  mud  — does  she  ?  "  said  Bruce. 

"  No,"  said  Bart.    "  I  expected  by  this  time  that 
she  would  be  as  deep  as  that  in  mud,  not  in  water." 
"  She's  afloat,"  said  Tom. 

"  No,  she  isn't :  she  doesn't  move,"  said  Bruce. 
"  No ;   she's  perfectly  steady,  and  fixed  in  the 
mud,"  said  Bart.     "  There's  no  floating  about  her." 
"  She'll  break  up  soon,  I  suppose,"  said  Phil. 
"  0,  I  don't  know,"   said  Bart.     "  If  she  were 
exposed  to  a  heavy  sea  slie  would ;  but  here  in 
this  quiet  harbor  she  will  either  sink  altogether  in 
the   mud,  or  else   lie   rotting  away  for  years,  a 
mournful  and  melancholy  spectacle." 

While  the  boys  were  looking  thus  sadly  upon 
the  schooner,  a  man  emerged  from  the  cabin  of  the 
other  vessel  at  the  wharf,  and  going  ashore,  pro- 
ceeded as  though  on  his  way  to  the  village.  The 
boys  did  not  notice  this  man  till  he  was  close  to 
them,  and  then  there  was  a  shout  of  joyful  recog- 
nition. 

"  Captain  Pratt !  " 

Yes,  that  stout,  bluff,  red-faced,  jovial  captain 


sz 


312 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


\4- 


'!  •  I 


it 


I       I 


■iH  m 


stood  there  before  their  eyes,  evincing  as  much 
pleasure  at  the  sight  of  them,  as  they  did  at  the 
sight  of  him.  He  wrung  their  hands  heartily  all 
round,  laughing  all  the  time,  and  asking  them  how 
they  got  home,  and  whether  they  ran  ashore  more 
than  a  dozen  times  in  doing  so. 

"  I  come  here,"  said  he,  "  arter  taters.  1  got  a 
tater  freight  to  Boston,  and  I'm  goin  to  fill  up  right 
straight  off.  And  it's  right  glad  I  am  to  see  you 
all  again.  I  thought  mebbe  I'd  see  some  of  you 
over  here,  and  come  here  instead  of  goin  to 
another  place  where  I  could  have  got  a  better 
freight." 

The  captain  was  very  voluble,  very  noisy,  and 
very  jolly.  He  made  all  the  boys  come  on  board 
his  vessel,  and  give  an  account  of  their  adventures 
after  leaving  Lim.  They  did  so,  and  he  listened 
with  deep  attention,  varied  from  time  to  time  by 
peals  of  laughter. 

"  Wal,  boys,"  said  he  at  last,  "  I'm  a  goin  right 
straight  off  to  Boston  as  soon  as  I  get  my  cargo 
in.  Ain't  there  any  of  you  that  wants  to  go  ?  I'll 
take  any  of  you,  or  all  of  you.     Come  now." 

The  boys  thanked  him,  but  excused  themselves, 
and  explained  that  they  couldn't  go  very  easily, 
as  the  school  had  now  begun,  and  they  were  all 
hard  at  work  at  their  studies. 

"  Sorry  for  that,"  said  Captain  Pratt.  "  I'm  too 
late,  I  see.  Perhaps  I'll  have  another  chance  with 
you.     At  any  rate,  I'll  promise  you  a  better  vessel 


■PHP 


^^ 


CAPTAIN   PRATT. 


313 


than  the  one  you  had  on  your  crui«o.  Of  all  tlio 
old  tubs  —  But  whcro  is  sho  now.  Has  Corbet 
got  a  tater  freight  ?  " 

At  this  question  the  boys  said  nothing,  but 
looked  silently  and  with  melancholy  glances  over 
the  stern  to  where  the  form  of  the  Antelope  was 
half  visible  above  the  water.  Captain  Pratt  saw 
their  glances. 

"  What  craft's  that  there  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  That/'  said  Bart,  "  is  the  gallant  craft  that  you 
just  asked  about  —  the  one  that  we  had  in  our 
cruise  —  the  Antelope." 

"That!"  cried  Captain  Pratt;  and  starting  up, 
he  walked  astern,  and  took  a  long  look  at  the 
schooner.  The  boys  followed  him.  They  said 
nothing,  but  looked  at  the  Antelope  along  with 
Captain  Pratt. 


i'j' 


m 


314 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND   PR^  SCHOOL. 


XXIII. 


•    I 


Inspection  of  the  Schooner.  —  Captain  Pratt  to  the 
Itescue.  —  His  Engines  and  his  Industry.  —  Up 
she  rises  I —  Who^ll  go  for  Captain  Corbet? 

^f^AKfAIN  Pratt  was  the  first  to  break  the 

^r^  silence. 

\5      "  Wal,"  said  he,  at  last,  "  whar's  Corbet?" 

"  He's  home." 

"  Home  ?    Why  don't  he  do  something  ?  " 

"  Why,  what  can  he  do  ?  " 

"  Do  ?    Everything." 

"  He  says  the  schooner's  lost." 

«  Lost  1 " 

«  Yes." 

"  Did  he  say  so  himself?  " 

"  He  said  the  schooner  was  '  a  gone  sucker.' 
Those  were  his  own  words." 

"  And  didn't  he  try  to  do  anything  ?  " 

"  No." 

«  What  — -  didn't  even  try  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Wal,  I  declare  I     I  never  did  think  that  Cor- 
bet had  much  brains ;  but  this  beats  everything 


! 


T 


CAPTAIN  PRATT  IS  ASTONISHED. 


315 


To  go  and  let  his  schooner  go  to  destruction  in 
this  way,  and  not  oven  try  to  save  her,  is  a  little 
beyond  what  I  expected  even  of  him.  But  how 
did  it  happen  ?  " 

The  boys  told  him. 

"And  so,"  said  Captain  Pratt,  "he  came  here 
next  day,  and  found  the  schooner  lying  here,  and 
(lid  nothing — jest  sot  down  and  lamented  over  her. 
Why,  what's  the  man  made  of?  He's  about  the 
only  man  I  ever  heard  of  that  could  sit  still  and 
see  his  property  perish." 

"  But  all  the  people  in  the  village  thought  it  was 
lost." 

"  Of  course.  If  he  said  so,  thev  believed  him. 
If  he  did  nothing,  why  should  they  try  to  do  any- 
thing? If  a  man  won't  help  himself,  you  don't 
suppose  other  people's  goin  to  help  him  —  do 
you  ?  " 

"  And  do  you  think,  after  all,  that  she  could  have 
been  saved  ?  " 

"  Course  she  could." 

"  And  she  wasn't  lost  ?  " 

"  Course  she  wasn't." 

"  Could  she  be  saved  now?" 

"  Course  she  can." 

"  What !  and  she  isn't  lost,  after  all  ?  " 

"  Course  she  isn't." 

At  this  astounding  intelligence  the  boys  looked 
at  one  another  in  silent  amazement. 

"  Why,  look  here,'^  said  Captain  Pratt ;   "  what 


1   ■ 


■ ;  1 
II 


(i 


- 

f               .  ^'i 

1 

1'          « 

,1 

I'll 

■  ';i 

A 

1 

fl    I 


'I:: 


316 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


happened  to  that  there  schooner  often  happens  to 
others.  It's  a  mighty  unpleasant  thing  to  happen ; 
but  schooners  do  get  over  it,  after  all.  I've  helped 
friends  out  of  similar  scrapes,  and  have  sot  several 
schooners  right  side  up  in  worse  places  than  this. 
There's  nothing  so  very  bad  about  this.  The  posi- 
tion is  a  good  one  for  working  in,  too ;  and  the  mud 
here  isn't  so  soft  as  it  is  in  other  places  around 
here  by  a  long  chalk.  But  whatever  got  into  Cor- 
bet's head  I  can't  imagine.     It  beats  me." 

"  Can  you  really  save  her  then,  after  all  — •  you 
yourself?" 

"  Course  I  can  —  only  not  single-handed.  I'd 
want  some  help." 

"  And  will  you  ?  " 

"  Course  I  will,  with  the  above  proviso.  Cap- 
tain Pratt's  a  man  that's  always  ready  to  help  a 
neighbor,  and  though  this  here  neighbor  doesn't 
seem  altogether  inclined  to  help  himself,  yet  I'm 
ready  to  do  what  I  can." 

At  the  generous  offer  of  Captain  Pratt  the  joy 
of  the  boys  was  inexpressible.  They  at  once 
poured  forth  a  torrent  of  questions  as  to  when  he 
could  begin  his  work,  and  where,  and  how,  and 
what  they  could  do  to  help  him,  and  whether  th^\y 
could  do  anything  at  all ;  which  questions  being  all 
asked  at  once  could  not  be  immediately  answered. 

"  You  see,  boys,"  said  Captain  Pratt,  "  I'll  need 
some  help." 

"  We'll  do  what  we  can." 


■I 


THE  ANTELOPE  TO  BE  SAVED. 


317 


Pd 


"  That's  right.  I'll  have  to  rely  on  you.  I've 
only  got  two  men  in  the  schooner,  and  we  can't  do 
all.  If  you  know  any  men  about  the  village,  send 
them  or  bring  them  along.     Send  for  Corbet,  too." 

^'  0,  we  want  to  have  it  all  done  without  Cap- 
tain Corbet  knowing  anything  about  it  till  it's  all 
over." 

"  Why  not  let  him  come,  and  take  his  share  in 
the  work  ?  " 

"  0,  it  would  be  better  fun  to  get  him  down 
here,  and  let  him  see  his  vessel  afloat." 

"  Fun,  you  call  it  I  Wal,  I  won't  dispute  about 
words.  At  any  rate,  it  ought  to  teach  him  a 
lesson." 

"  But  when  can  we  begin?  —  now?" 

"Now?"  replied  Captain  Pratt,  with  a  smile. 
« Wal  —  hardly  —  not  just  now,  I  should  say. 
You  see  the  vessel's  partly  in  the  mud,  and  a 
good  deal  in  the  water,  and  it  would  be  rather 
diflScult  to  get  at  her  so  as  to  go  to  work." 

"  How  long  will  it  be  before  we  can  begin?" 

"  Not  till  the  tide  leaves  her." 

"  That  will  be  after  dark." 

"  Yes,  this  evening ;  but  to-morrow  morning  the 
tide  will  be  out,  and  everything  can  be  done  then." 

"  But  then  we  shall  be  in  school." 

"  So  you  will.  Well,  it'll  have  to  be  managed 
without  you.  But,  after  all,  you  won't  be  wanted 
till  the  evening.  My  men  and  I  can  do  all  the 
fixins.     We'll    get    everything  ready  when   the 


:^^ 


318 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


I* 


1 

If- 


* 


,  \ 


tide  is  out,  and  then  in  the  evening,  when  you 
come,  you  will  be  able  to  help  without  getting  up 
to  your  eyes  in  mud." 

"  0,  well,  we'll  all  be  down." 

"  How  many  can  you  muster  ?  A  dozen  boys 
like  you  will  be  enough." 

"  O,  we  can  muster  more  than  that,  if  you  wish 
it.     We  will  bring  down  the  whole  school." 

"  All  right  then.  You  see  it  will  be  about  eight 
men's  work.  I  and  my  men  make  three,  and  you 
lads  ought  to  make  up  the  rest.  It'll  be  mostly 
pullin  that  you'll  be  wanted  for." 

"  Pulling  ?  " 

"Yes  —  histin.  I'll  rig  some  tackle  for  you. 
Besides,  I'll  have  to  get  the  vessel  clear  of  mud  at 
low  tide.     There  can't  be  much  in  her  here." 

"  Why,  we  thought,  from  what  Captain  Corbet 
said,  that  by  this  time  she  would  be  sunk  so  deep 
that  she  would  be  half  buried  in  the  mud,  and  half 
full  of  it." 

"  Nonsense  I  The  mud  just  here  on  this  slope 
isn't  very  deep.  Six  or  eight  inches  of  mud  is 
about  all  she'd  sink  in.  Two  or  three  hours'  work 
will  clear  all  that  away,  and  then  all  that  is  left 
for  us  to  do  is  to  get  her  right  side  up,  and  I'll  rig 
the  tackle  for  that." 

"  I  must  say,  Captain  Pratt,"  said  Bart,  "  it's  un 
commonly  good  in  you  to  take  so  much  time  and 
trouble." 

"  0,  as  for  that,"  said  Captain  Pratt,  "  neighbors 


AT  WORK   ON  THE   ANTELOIB. 


319 


must  be  neighborly,  and  seafarin  men  most  so. 
Besides,  I  ham't  got  anything  in  particular  to  do 
to-morrow  and  I'd  like  very  well  to  turn  a  hand  to 
this.  But  I  don't  see  yet  why  Corbet  should  go 
and  be  such  a  precious  old  goose.  The  vessel 
am  t  worth  much,  but  she's  worth  settin  right  side 
up ;  that  I'll  maintain."  ^ 

The  captain  then  proceeded  to  explain  his  plan 
of  action  to  the  boys  more  minutely,  so  that  at  last 
they  perceived  how  very  simple  and  feasible  it 
was,  and  wondered  now  that  Captain  Corbet  should 
have  given  up  his  vessel  so  readily,  without  mak- 
mg  any  effort,  where  an  effort  would  have  been  so 
very  easy. 

"1  understand  now,  I  think,"  said  Bart,  "why 
Captain  Corbet  gave  up  the  vessel.  It  ^as  the 
babby  He  wanted  to  be  able  to  devote  himself 
altogether  to  his  domestic  cares." 

After  spending  some  further  time  the  boys  took 
their  departure,  with  the  understanding  that  they 

^T    ^r'r  °"  *•''  ^'""^"g  ^^y  ^fter  school^ 
with  all  the  boys  that  they  could  muster. 

By  seven  o'clock  on  the  following  morning.  Cap- 
tain Pratt  was  at  work  at  the  Antelope.  The  tide 
had  retreated  far  enough  to  allow  of  an  investiga- 
tion  of  her  condition,  though  the  water  which  had 
filled  her  at  the  last  tide  had  not  run  out  of  her. 
His  hrst  work  was  to  bore  a  few  auger  holes  along 
the  lower  part  of  her  deck,  to  let  all  the  water  run 
out.    The  Antelope  was  not,  after  all.  so  very  deep 


!»  ' 


.''1 

»                            '(I 

I- 


320 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


in  the  mud  aa  had  been  supposed  by  the  boys.  It 
had  covered  her  tafFrail  some  inches,  but  this  could 
be  shovelled  away  without  any  very  severe  exer- 
tion; and  it  was  to  this  that  Captain  Pratt  and 
his  men  first  directed  their  energies.  Two  hours' 
work  sufficed  for  them  to  clear  away  all  this,  after 
which  they  turned  their  attention  to  other  things. 
First  of  all,  as  the  water  had  now  run  out,  Captain 
Pratt  stopped  up  the  auger  holes  tightly,  and  then 
prepared  to  close  the  hatchways.  This  was  a  work 
of  extreme  difficulty.  The  hatches  which  belonged 
to  the  schooner  had  floated  away  long  ago,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  make  new  ones.  This  was  at 
length  done  by  working  up  some  stuff  that  was  on 
board  Captain  Pratt's  vessel,  which  they  then  pro- 
ceeded to  fasten  to  the  hatchways  of  the  Antelope. 
The  position  in  which  the  schooner  lay  made  it  ex- 
cessively difficult.  She  was  on  her  side  on  a  slope 
in  such  a  way  that  her  deck  overhung  them  some- 
what as  they  worked,  so  that  they  labored  at  a 
great  disadvantage ;  however,  they  persevered,  and 
at  length  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  the 
new  hatches  were  fastened  in  with  sufficient  firm- 
ness to  suit  their  purposes,  and  were  judged  to  be 
sufficiently  water-tight  lor  the  present  emergency. 
The  work  thus  far,  impo.  tant  though  it  was,  had 
been  essentially  preliminary;  and  now  the  ma- 
chinery had  to  be  arranged  for  the  immediate  work 
of  raising  the  fallen  vessel  to  her  proper  position. 
Captain  Pratt  and  his  men  took  a  number  of  spars 


PREPARATIONS. 


321 


from  their  schooner,  and  selecting  three  of  them, 
bound  their  ends  together,  and  stood  these  three 
like  a  tripod,  as  near  to  the  schooner  .iS  possible, 
and  close  by  the  foremast.  Three  more  bound  to- 
gether in  a  similar  way  were  placed  near  the  main- 
mast. From  the  top  of  each  of  these  a  tackle- 
block  was  suspended,  and  a  line  also  was  passed 
from  each,  and  run  around  a  tree  which  stood  about 
a  dozen  yards  away  from  the  edge  of  the  bank. 
Another  line  passed  from  each  tackle-block,  and 
was  fastened  around  each  mast  of  the  schooner. 

Captain  Pratt's  design  was  now  evident. 

First  of  all  he  had  cleared  away  the  mud  that 
had  covered  the  taffrail  of  the  schooner,  and  emp- 
tied her  of  water ;  then  he  had  battened  down  the 
hatches  so  that  at  the  next  rising  tide  no  water 
should  enter  her;  and  finally  he  had  rigged  the 
tackle-blocks  so  as  to  hoist  up  the  schooner  to  an 
erect  position  by  means  of  the  united  efforts  of  all 
that  could  be  mustered.  But  the  schooner,  as  she 
now  lay,  could  not  be  raised  by  such  means.  It 
was  necessary  to  have  additional  help,  and  that 
help  was  to  be  found  in  the  rising  tide.  When  the 
water  should  rise  so  as  to  be  deep  enough  for  the 
schooner  to  float  in,  the  task  of  pulling  her  up  to 
an  erect  position  would  be  comparatively  easy. 

Captain  Pratt's  labors  were  energetically  per- 
formed, and  finally,  just  as  he  had  completed  his 
tackle  arrangements,  the  tide  began  to  flow  around 
the  schooner. 

21 


■4 


i 


EBSB 


322 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   PRfe   SCHOOL. 


!,  '1*1 


In  another  hour  the  water  was  high  around  her ; 
still  another,  and  tlie  tide  was  at  its  fullest  height, 
and  Captain  Pratt  began  to  look  anxiously  for  the 
boys. 

Meanwhile  the  boys  on  the  hill  had  all  heard  of 
the  proposed  enterprise,  and,  from  the  largest  to 
the  smallest,  were  filled  with  intense  excitement. 
They  chafed  impatiently  against  the  restraints  of 
the  school,  and  waited  with  extreme  difficulty  for 
the  closing  hour.  At  last  it  came ;  and  then,  with 
loud  shouts,  and  screams,  and  laughter,  the  whole 
school  set  off  at  a  run  for  the  scene  of  action,  which 
they  reached  just  as  Captain  Pratt  began  to  feel 
impatient. 

"  Hooray ! "  shouted  the  gallant  captain,  as  he 
saw  them  pouring  down  towards  the  wharf.  "  Here 
you  are,  —  and  lots  of  you,  too.  You're  just  in 
time,  too.  The  tide's  up,  the  tackle  is  rigged,  and 
all  we've  got  to  do  now  is  to  go  to  work. 

The  boys  looked  hastily  around,  and  though  they 
could  not  see  all  that  had  been  done,  yet  they 
could  comprehend  the  purpose  of  the  tackle  which 
they  saw  before  them,  and  had  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  the  undertaking  would  be  perfectly  suc- 
cessful. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Captain  Pratt,  "  you  can't  all 
bear  a  hand,  but  you  small  boys'll  have  to  be  sat- 
isfied with  lookin  on.  I'll  choose  the  biggest  to 
help  me,  and  show  you  where  you've  got  to  pull." 

Saying  this,  he  selected  from  among  the  boys 


i[ 


"UP  SHE   RISES." 


323 


d  her ; 
leiglit, 
for  the 

ard  of 
jest  to 
ement. 
[nts  of 
ilty  for 
a,  with 
whole 
,  which 
to  feel 

as  he 
"  Here 
just  in 
3d,  and 

^h  they 
)t  they 
5  which 
t  what- 
tly  suc- 

tan't  all 
be  sat- 
gest  to 
0  pull." 
le  boys 


Bruce,  Arthur,  Bart,  Tom,  Phil,  Jiggins,  Muckle, 
Sammy  Ram  Ram,  Johnny  Blue,  Billymack,  Bogud, 
and  Pat,  and  these  he  stationed  at  the  tackle  which 
was  attached  to  the  foremast,  while  he  himself  and 
his  two  men  went  to  the  lines  which  were  attached 
to  the  mainmast. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  he,  "  it's  no  use  to  pull  every 
which  way.  Pull  together  as  I  give  the  word. 
Mind  —  it's  a  long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull 
all  together.  I'll  sing,  and  you  pull  at  the  chorus 
—  that's  the  way." 

Saying  this.  Captain  Pratt  burst  forth  with  a 
lude  song,  which  was,  — 

"  Up  she  rises ; 

Hi  ho,  cheerly,  men ! 
Heave  her  up ; 

Hi  ho,  cheerly,  men  I 
All  together ; 

Hi  ho,  cheerly,  men  I 
Heave  with  a  will ; 

Hi  ho,  cheerly,  men ! " 

And  at  every  cry,  "  Hi  ho,  cheerly,  men,"  Cap- 
tain  Pratt  and  his  men  gave  a  pull,  and  the  boys, 
watching  him,  pulled  also.  At  first  they  were  a 
little  irregular,  but  they  soon  caught  the  time,  and 
pulled  as  regularly  as  the  men.  And  thus,  with  a 
long  pull,  and  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  all  together, 
they  sought  to  raise  up  the  fallen  schooner. 

The  schooner  felt  it.  Already  the  mud  had  been 
detached  from  its  grasp,  and  the  water  which  flowed 
around  formed  an  additional  assistant,  buoying  it 


324 


THE  ROYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SDHOOL. 


^i:-  ' 


up,  and  supporting  it  as  they  pulled.  The  cling* 
ing  mud  was  the  only  thing  to  contend  with.  The 
first  pull  loosened  its  hold  somewhat,  the  see" 
ond  and  third  did  this  still  more,  and  finally  the 
fourth  raised  the  masts  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  Again  and  again  they  pulled,  and  higher 
and  higher  came  the  masts,  until  at  last,  when  high 
up  in  the  air,  all  further  pulling  was  rendered  un- 
necessary by  the  schooner,  which  threw  herself 
upon  her  keel  in  the  water,  and  thus  righted  her- 
self of  her  own  accord.  She  did  not  sit  very  fair, 
it  is  true,  for  the  mud  which  had  accumulated  on 
one  side  of  her  hold  gave  her  a  lop-sided  appear- 
ance ;  but  that  mattered  little  to  the  boys.  It  was 
enough  triumph  to  them  that  she  was  afloat,  and 
so  they  celebrated  their  triumph  in  long,  loud 
cheers. 

Having  thus  righted  the  schooner,  Captain  Pratt 
prepared  to  secure  her  in  a  proper  manner. 

II  WeVe  righted  her,  boys,"  said  he,  "  and  now 
let's  take  care  that  she  shan't  be  wronged." 

With  this  end  in  view,  lines  were  fastened  from 
the  schooner  to  the  shore,  and  Captain  Pratt  finally 
pronounced  her  free  from  danger. 

The  boys  now  crowded  around  the  Antelope  to 
see  what  marks  she  bore  of  her  late  calamities. 
There  she  floated  before  them,  her  masts  and  rig- 
ging plastered  with  mud,  yet  afloat,  and  able  once 
more  to  plough  the  seas  after  her  own  fashion. 
A  few  among  them  managed  to  scramble  on  board, 


CAPTAIN   CORBET. 


325 


e  cling* 
h.  The 
ihe  sec- 
ally  the 
3  of  the 
.  higher 
len  high 
red  un- 
herself 
ted  her- 
ery  fair, 
lated  on 
appear- 
It  was 
ioat,  and 
ig,  loud 

in  Pratt 

md  now 

led  from 
bt  finally 

:elope  to 
lamitiea. 
and  rig- 
ble  once 
fashion, 
m  board, 


the  righted  schooner.  The  scene  around  was  not 
particularly  attractive.  The  mud  still  clung  close 
to  the  deck  and  rigging,  and  even  Captain  Pratt's 
work  around  the  hatches  was  already  coated  over 
with  thick  slime.  The  scene  was  not  an  attractive 
one,  and  they  did  not  remain  there  long. 

"  She  wants  cleanin,"  remarked  Captain  Pratt, 
after  a  long  survey,  —  "  that's  a  fact ;  an  what's 
more,  she  wants  corkin"  — no  doubt,  — an  a  good 
coat  o'  tar.  She  wants  new  spars,  an  riggin,  an 
chains,  an  anchors,  — •  a  new  deck,  too,  and  pumps 
wouldn't  be  out  of  the  way :  and  for  that  matter, 
while  they  were  about  it,  they  might  as  v;ell  put 
a  new  hull  onto  her.  By  that  time  she'd  be  fit  to 
carry  taters,  and  Corbet  might  make  a  little  money 
out  of  her.  But  it  would  cost  a  good  bit  to  do 
all  that,  and  so  I  dar  say  Corbet  '11  sail  her  as  she 
stands,  —  if  he  sails  her  at  all.  Arter  all,  he  might 
as  well,  bein  as  she's  jest  as  good  now  as  ever  she 
was.  She  never  was  much ;  but  then  she's  been 
lucky,  and  did  well  enough  for  Corbet.  It  would 
be  kind  of  onnateral  to  see  him  aboard  of  any  other 
craft  than  this  here." 

"  Boys,"  said  Bart,  "  something  ought  to  be  done 
in  honor  of  this  great  occasion ;  and  above  all,  we 
ought  to  make  up  some  way  to  bring  Corbet  face 
to  face  with  his  restored  Antelope.  Shall  we  tell 
him  at  once,  and  let  him  come  down  ?  " 

"  No,  let's  leave  it  till  he  finds  out.  Let's  give 
him  a  shock  of  surprise." 


r 

1      ,"1    1 

\ 

:  ,r 

1     t 

I 

i   ; 

r 
■  ■')  i' 

:S 

1 

1  ■ 

• 

I 

1 

1 ' 

* 

I    I 


326 


THE   BOYS   OP   GRAND   PR6   SCHOOL. 


"  But  how  will  we  know  anything  about  his  sur- 
prise, unless  we  are  hero  on  the  spot  at  that  great 
meeting  between  Corbet  and  his  lost  but  restored 
schooner  ?  " 

"  0,  we'll  have  to  manage  it  so  as  to  be  here 
when  he  comes  down  to  see  it." 

"  We  ought  to  arrange  some  plan." 

"  Shall  we  let  him  know  what  has  happened,  or 
get  him  to  come  down  here  for  something  else  ?  " 

"  O,  we  ought  to  get  him  to  come  for  some- 
thing else,  and  then  his  surprise  will  be  all  the 
greater." 

"  But  what  else  ?  " 

"  That  we'll  have  to  think  over." 

"  We  ought  to  make  haste  about  it,  then." 

*'  Yes,  we  ought  to  decide  before  the  end  of  the 
week.'^ 

"  The  end  of  the  week  !  Nonsense  I  Why  not 
to-day  ?  " 

"To-day?" 

"  Of  course.  Now^s  the  time.  We  must  get  him 
down  to-day,  while  we're  all  here.  If  wo  don't, 
he'll  be  certain  to  hear  all  about  it  before  to- 
morrow from  some  one  else." 

*^  Yes,  of  course." 

"  To-dav's  the  time." 

"  Yes,  to-day.  We're  all  here.  I  want  to  see  the 
meeting.     I  wouldn't  lose  the  sight  for  anything." 

"  Well  —  what  shall  we  get  up  to  bring  him 
here  ?  " 


PAT  GOES  FOR  THE  CAPTAIN. 


327 


his  sur- 
al great 
restored 

be  here 


ened,  or 
Blse  ?  " 
)r  some- 
all  the 


d  of  the 


Nhy  not 


get  him 
'o  don't, 
jfore  to- 


)  see  the 
ything." 
ing  him 


"  0,  let 's  send  word  that  Captain  Pratt  wants  to 
see  him  on  very  particular  businoss." 

"  That  won't  Iring  him,  especially  if  he's  got 
the  babby.  He  wouldn't  come  down  before  when 
the  business  was  still  more  important." 

"  We  couldn't  send  some  word  about  a  potato 
freight,  I  suppose." 

"  No,  for  three  reasons ;  first,  because  it  isn't 
the  truth ;  secondly,  because  he  believes  that  he 
has  no  schooner ;  and  thirdly,  because  he  is  indif- 
ferent to  potato  freights." 
"  Well,  what  shall  we  tell  him,  then  ?  " 
This  conversation  went  on,  every  one  speaking 
at  once ;  but  no  one  being  able  to  think  of  any 
plausible  message  to  send  to  Captain  Corbet  which 
should  be  true,  and  at  the  same  time  not  disclose 
the  actual  facts.     At  last  they  concluded  that  it 
was  impossible  to  make  up  such  a  message ;  and 
as  the  time  was  passing,  they  determined  to  send 
for  him  at  all  hazards. 
But  who  would  go  ? 

Pat  at  once  offered,  much  to  the  relief  of  all  the 
others,  who  wanted  to  be  on  the  spot  when  Cap- 
tain Corbet  arrived.  Pat,  however,  was  very  good- 
natured,  and  didn't  at  all  mind  the  long  walk,  but 
promised  to  be  back  in  an  hour,  along  with  Captain 
Corbet. 

"  Don't  tell  him  about  the  schooner,  unless  yoM 
have  to,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Sure  an  what  '11  I  tell  him,  thin?  " 


^^m 


328 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 


"  0,  tell  him  anything  at  all,  so  long  as  it's  the 
truth,  and  no  humbug,  you  know.  Just  tell  him 
in  a  general  way  something  or  other." 

"  Somethin  or  other  in  a  gineral  way  ?  "  repeat- 
ed Pat. 

"  Yes,  something  that'll  make  him  come  down, 
you  know ;  and  don't  tell  him  about  the  schooner, 
unless  you  have  to." 

"  Deed,  thin,  an  I  won't.  I'll  tell  him  somethin 
in  gineral,  an  nothin  in  particular." 

"  But  no  humbug,  you  know." 

"  No  —  surely  not ;  it's  mesilf  that  won't." 

And  with  these  words  Pat  took  himself  oS. 


CAPTAIN   COItBET  AT  HOME. 


iJU9 


it^8  the 
tell  him 


repeat- 

)  down, 
ihooner, 

Dmethin 


XXIV. 

Argument  between  Fat  and  Captain  Corbet.  —  Meet- 
ing between  Captain  Corbet  aiid  the  Antelope.  — 
Pat  alone  with  the  Baby.  —  Corbet  becomes  an 
Fxile,  and  vanishes  into  a  Fog  Bank, 

fAT  walked  briskly,  and  in  due  time  arrived 
at  Captain  Corbet's  house.  He  knocked 
at  the  door. 

"  Come  in,"  said  a  voice. 

He  entered,  and  found  himself  face  to  face  witk 
the  one  whom  he  wished  to  see.  The  aged  navi- 
gator was  seated  near  a  cradle,  gently  tilting  the 
rocker  with  his  foot,  and  thus  giving  to  it  an  easy 
and  agreeable  motion.  There  was  a  f»mile  of  peace 
on  Corbet's  mild  countenance,  which  deepened 
into  a  smile  of  welcome  as  he  recognized  Pat. 

"  Why,  how  d'ye  dew?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Railly, 
I'm  delighted  to  see  you.     Take  a  cheer." 

"  Thank  ye,  kindly,"  said  Pat ;  "  but  it's  a  hurry 
I'm  in,  and  I've  jist  brought  a  message  for  you 
from  the  b'ys." 

"The  boys?" 

"  Yis.     They  want  you  at  the  wharf." 


330 


THE  B0T3  OF  GRAND  PSil  SCHOOL. 


m 


■  I 


«  Me  ?  " 

"  Yis  ;  it's  dyin  to  see  jov  they  are." 

"  The  boys  —  dyin  to  see  me  at  the  wharf?  " 
repeated  Captain  Corbet,  slowly. 

"It's  that  same  they  are  doin,  and  they  sint 
me  to  bring  you  down." 

"  Wal,  that's  a  pity,  now,"  said  Captain  Corbet. 
"  I'm  railly  pained.  I  wish  I  could  go.  But  you 
see  the  old  'oman's  out ;  gone  to  see  a  nevey  of 
hern  that's  jest  took  down  with  the  influenzy,  an 
I'm  alone,  an'  got  to  take  car'  of  the  babby." 

"  Ah,  sure  now  an  ye  must  go,"  said  Pat,  en- 
treatingly.  "  Look  at  me  ;  sure  an  didn't  I  run  all 
the  way  up  from  the  wharf  for  ye." 

"  Wal,  railly  now,  I'd  do  anythin  to  oblige  the 
boys,  but  you  see  thar's  the  babby,  a  delicate 
creatur,  an'  the  old  'oman  away.  But  what  do  the 
boys  want  to  see  me  for  ?  " 

"  Sure,  an  it's  for  matthers  av  the  greatest  im- 
portance intoirely,  so  it  is." 

"  But  thar's  no  use  for  me  to  go  down,  I  tell 
you.     You  go  down,  and  get  them  to  come  up." 

"  Och,  sure  an  the  businiss  won't  allow  thim  to 
come  up  at  all,  at  all." 

"  0,  yes,  it  will.  'Tain't  likely  they  have  any- 
thing so  dreadful  important  but  what  some  of  them 
can  come  here." 

"  But  I  tell  ye  this  businies  must  be  transacted 
on  the  wharf,"  said  Pat,  earnestly.  "  It's  on  the 
wharf  it  must  be  done,  so  it  is." 


"the  babby." 


331 


srharf  ?  " 

ley  sint 

Corbet. 
5ut  you 
Qvey  of 
mzy,  an 

• 

Pat,  en- 
'  run  all 

ige  the 
delicate 
I  do  the 

test  im- 

1,  I  tell 
up.'^ 
thim  to 

ve  any- 
of  them 

.nsacted 
on  the 


"  The  wharf?  I  don't  see  that  exactly.  What  is 
the  business  ?  " 

"Why,  why  — it's  — it's  a  kind  av  a  —  a  —  tis- 
timonial,  sure ;  an  there  you  have  it." 

"  A  testimonial  ?  —  railly  —  wal,  now,  that's  rail 
kind.  But  couldn't  the  boys  come  up  here  —  or 
postpone  it  ?  " 

"  Sorra  a  bit  of  that  same  culd  they  do,"  said 
Pat.  "  It's  all  got  to  be  done  on  the  wharf,  and 
this  evenin  so  it  has." 

"  On  the  wharf?  " 

"  Sure,  it's  jist  that  same,  so  it  is." 

"  An  this  evenin  ?  " 

"  Sorra  a  time  else." 

"  What  kin  it  be  ?  '■  said  Captain  Corbet,  medita- 
tively, lost  in  wonder  at  the  mystery  that  sur- 
rounded Pat's  message.  He  leaned  his  head  upon 
his  ha^d,  while  his  foot  still  jogged  the  cradle,  and 
sat  ior  a  time  lost  in  thought. 

But  Pat's  impatience  could  not  endure  the  delay. 

"  0,  come  along,"  said  he  -,  "  sure  it's  all  one  to 
you." 

"  But  I  can't,"  said  the  captain.  "  You  forget 
the  babby." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,"  said  Pat,  as  g,  bright 
thought  struck  him ;  "  bring  the  baby  wid  you." 

Captain  Corbet  stared  for  a  moment  at  Pat  in 
silent  horror. 

"  What ! "  he  cried^  "  bring  him  with  me  !  Ex- 
pose that  per-recious  head  to  the  evenin  damp ! 
Why,  d'ye  think  I'm  made  of  iron  ?  " 


332 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


I 


Pat  at  this  gave  up,  and  began  to  despair  of 
moving  Corbet  from  his  house. 

"  If  ye  o'ny  knowed,"  said  he,  at  last,  resuming 
his  effort,  —  "  if  ye  o'ny  knowed  what  it  was,  ye'd 
go  fast  enough." 

"  Knowed  what  it  was  ?  Why,  didn't  you  say 
what  it  was  ?  " 

"  Not  me,  sure." 

"  Yes,  you  did." 

"  Niver  a  bit  of  it." 

"  You  said  it  was  a  testimonial." 

"  Well,  an  did  I  tell  you  what  kind  of  a  testi- 
monial it  wor  ?    Not  me." 

"  Wal,  tell  me  now." 

"  Will  ye  go  if  I  do  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  go  ?  " 

"  Take  the  baby  along  wid  ye,  sure.  It's  aisy 
enough." 

"  That  thar's  not  possible.  I'll  tell  you.  Wait> 
and  p'aps  the  ole  'oman  '11  be  hum  soon." 

"  Wait  ?  But  we  can't  wait.  It  must  be  done 
the  night." 

"  What  ?  " 

"  Sure,  the  businiss." 

«  The  testimonial  ?    Why  can't  it  be  kept  ?  " 

"  You  see,  it's  a  kind  av  a  present ;  something 
that  ye'U  value  next  to  yer  child,  so  ye  will." 

^*  Dew  tell.  Wal,  now,  railly  ;  why,  what  upon 
airth  hin  that  be  ? "  said  Captain  Corbet,  whose 
curiosity  began  to  be  more  excited  than  it  had 
hitherto  been. 


PAT  AND  THE  BABY. 


333 


iir  of 

iming 
I,  ye'd 

u  say 


testi- 


j  aisy 


Wait 


done 


I  fi 


thing 

upon 
i^hose 
t  had 


"  I^m  not  allowed  to  tell,"  said  Pat,  mysteriously. 

"  Why,  ruilly  !  Why,  how  extra  particular !  But 
come  now,  tell  a  leetle  of  it." 

"  I  can't,"  said  Pat ;  "  but  if  you  want  to  know, 
ye  must  go  to  the  wharf." 

"  Somethin,"  mused  Captain  Corbet.  "  Some- 
thin  you  say  that  I'll  vally  nex  to  my  babby. 
Why,  what  upon  airth  kin  it  be  ?  I  declare  I 
never  was  so  cur'ous  in  my  hull  life  j  an  you  wun't 
tell." 

"  No,"  said  Pat. 

"  Wun't  ?  " 

"  No." 

"Honor  bright?" 

"  Honor  bright." 

"  Wal,  what  kin  I  dew  ?  "  cried  Captain  Corbet. 
'*  I  can't  leave  the  infant's  bedside.  I  couldn't  take 
ten  steps  away,  and  leave  him  here.  What  kin  I 
do  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  cried  Pat,  at  last,  after  some 
silence,  and  with  an  air  of  desperate  determina- 
tion.   "  I'll  atay  wid  him,  and  you  go  down." 

«  You  stay  ?  " 

"Yis,  mesilf.  He's  asleep.  He  won't  wake. 
I'll  rock  him.  It'll  be  all  right.  And  you  hurry 
down,  an  hurry  back." 

Captain  Corbet  looked  a  long  time  in  doubt  at 
Pat,  meditating  over  this  singular  proposal. 

"  Wal,"  said  he,  at  last,  "  railly  —  it's  desput 
kind  in  you  —  but  —  a  feyther's  feelins  —  air  des- 


334 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PB^  SCHOOL. 


ii 


put  delicate  things  —  but  as  you  say  —  he^s 
asleep  —  bress  his  pooty  face  !  —  an  he'll  stay 
asleep  —  and  you'll  rock  him  —  an  watch  over 
his  infant  slumbers.  And  I'm  desput  cur'ous  — 
and  so  —  why,  railly,  I  declar'  ef  I  hain't  got  half 
a  mind  to  go — jest  to  please  the  boys." 

"  Do,"  said  Pat,  earnestly ;  "  an  make  haste 
about  it,  too,  for  they're  dyin  wid  impatience,  so 
they  are." 

Captain  Corbet  gave  an  uneasy  glance  all  around. 

"  Ah,  come  now,  hurry  up,"  urged  Pat,  "  an  don't 
be  all  night  about  it." 

"  I  feel  dreadful  oneasy,"  said  Captain  Corbet, 
'about  what  I'm  agoin  for  to  do." 

''  Onaisv,  is  it  ?  Nonsense  I  Won't  I  be  here  ? 
Am  I  a  Injin  ?  " 

"  You'll  be  kerful  then  —  will  ye  ?  "  said  Captain 
Corbet,  anxiously. 

"  Sure  an  I  will." 

"  An  watch  him  ?  " 

"Av  coorse.  But  sure  an  he's  sleepin  like  a 
lamb ;  he'll  need  no  care  or  watchin." 

"  An  you  think  I  railly  may  ventoor,  jest  to 
please  the  boys." 

"  0,  yis,  av  coorse  ;  on'y  don't  wait  any  longer." 

Captain  Corbet  drew  a  deep  breath,  as  though 
to  summon  up  all  his  fortitude  for  the  ordeal  be- 
fore him. 

"  Wal,"  he  said,  "  I  will.  I'll  make  the  plunge. 
But  be  kerful ;  watch.     An  ef  he  stirs,  rock  him ; 


CAPTAIN   CORBET   AND   PAT. 


335 


haste 


J) 


an  ef  he  stirs  more,  rock  him  harder ;  but  ef  he 
stirs  more,  so  as  to  be  likely  to  wake,  you  must 
sing  to  him;  an  ef  he  actilly  doos  wake,  then  you'll 
have  to  take  him  up  and  nuss  him.  Ef  he  still  con- 
tennoos  to  wail,"  -—  and  here  the  captain's  voice  fal- 
tered,—"you  must  walk  up  and  down  with  him; 
ef  he  don't  stop  then,  sing  and  play  with  the  furni- 
toor ;  and  finally,  ef  nothin  else'Il  quiet  him,  thar's 
his  bowl  an  his  bessed  supper  on  the  table,  an  you 
must  feed  him.  But  how  can  I  bar  to  leave  him, 
and  trust  all  this  to  you  —  ?  " 

"  0,  nonsense  ! "  cried  Pat ;  «  sure  an  he  won't 
wake  at  all,  at  all;  an  if  he  does,  I'll  do  every- 
thin  that  you  say,  an  more  by  the  same  token  " 

"  You  will  ?  " 

"  Av  coorse." 

"Then  I  think  I  may  ventoor,"  said  Captain 
Corbet. 

"Do,  an  be  quick.  Ah,  now,  none  of  that," 
cried  Pat,  as  the  fond  father  stooped  over  the 
cradle  of  his  infant.  "  Sure  ye'U  wake  him,  so  ye 
will.     Hurry  off." 

"  Wal,  I  was  just  goin  to  kiss  him  — but  p'aps 
I'd  better  not,—  so  I'll  go." 

And  with  these  words  Captain  Corbet  tore  him- 
self away  from  the  cradle,  and  left  the  house. 

He  walked  with  rapid  strides,  yet  his  breast 
was  a  prey  to  contending  feelings.  On  the  one 
hand,  he  was  exceedingly  curious  to  know  what 
it  was  that  the  boys  had  for  him,  and  he  was  also 


r 


336 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR&  SCHOOL. 


t;, 


1/ 


anxious  to  gratify  them ;  but  then,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  was  disturbed  about  his  baby,  and  full  of 
fear  lest  some  evil  might  befall  him  during  his 
absence.  His  progress,  which  at  first  was  rapid, 
soon  slackened,  and  then  grew  slower,  and  finally 
stopped  altogether.  He  turned  irresolutely,  and 
looked  back.  But  all  was  still.  This  encouraged 
him  to  resume  his  journey.  Again  and  again  he 
turned  and  looked  back,  and  each  time  he  was 
reassured.  At  last  he  descended  the  hill,  and  his 
home  could  no  longer  be  seen.  Even  then  he 
stopped,  and  looked  back  several  times,  as  though 
he  expected  that  a  cry  from  his  deserted  infant 
might  meet  his  ears.  But  no  cry  came,  and  he 
went  on.  At  length  he  came  to  the  village,  and 
finding  himself  thus  far  committed  to  his  journey, 
he  concluded  that  it  would  be  better  to  make 
haste,  so  as  to  be  back  as  soon  as  possible.  With 
this  resolve  he  set  off  at  a  run,  and  soon  reached 
the  wharf. 

Scarcely  had  he  made  his  appearance  when  a 
wild  cheer  arose.  At  first  the  captain  could  see 
nothing  but  a  crowd  of  boys,  who  gathered  round 
him,  shouting  and  cheering.  Partly  inquisitive 
and  partly  bewildered,  he  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  with  inquiring  yet  puzzled  glances,  and  said 
not  a  word.  But  the  boys  did  not  keep  him  long 
in  suspense.  Thronging  around  him,  they  took  his 
arms,  and  half  led,  half  urged  him  onward  to  the 
river  bank,  where  full  before  him  floated  the  An- 


CAPTAIN  CORBET'S  SURPRISE. 


337 


telope.  Even  then,  perhaps,  Captain  Corbet  might 
not  have  noticed  the  schooner,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  cries  and  gestures  of  the  boys. 

The  effect  of  this  sudden  and  unexpected  sight, 
as  he  realized  its  meaning,  was  overwhelming! 
He  started,  he  stared,  he  rubbed  his  eyes,  he 
looked  at  the  boys,  then  at  the  Antelope,  then  at 
the  boys  again,  and  then  once  more  at  the  Ante- 
lope. He  could  not  speak  a  word.  He  stared  in 
utter  amazement.  His  belief  in  her  complete  and 
hopeless  loss  had  been  perfect ;  and  now  to  see  her 
floating  before  him  was  an  overwhelming  sight 
that  deprived  him  of  the  power  of  speech.  His 
emotion  was  so  great  that  his  aged  form  trembled 
visibly.  He  burst  into  tears;  and  then  turning 
towards  the  boys  without  speaking  a  word,  he 
went  around  among  them,  shaking  hands  with 
every  one  of  them  most  earnestly. 

"Thar,"  said  he,  at  last,  as  he  drew  a  long 
breath,  "  I  don't  think  I  ever  in  all  my  born  days 
saw  a  day  like  this  here.  An  who  did  it?  Did 
youns  do  it  all  —  every  bit  ?  " 

"  We  did  some  of  it,"  said  Bart ;  "  but  it  was 
Captain  Pratt  that  did  the  most  of  it.  If  it  hadn't 
been  for  him,  it  couldn't  have  been  done  at  all." 

"  Captain  Pratt?  Bless  his  benevolent  sperrit; 
Take  me  to  him.  Whar  is  he  ?  1  want  to  thank 
him." 

"  0,  he's  up  in  the  village  somewhere." 

^*  An  so  this  was  the  occasion  ycu  wanted  me 

22 


^pp 


338 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL. 


I 


for?  Wal,  railly.  And  here^s  the  Antelope  —  an 
here  am  I  gazing  upon  her  well-remembered  form  1 " 

Captain  Corbet  spoke  these  words  meditatively, 
and  then  made  an  effort  to  climb  on  board.  This 
he  soon  succeeded  in  doing.  Thereupon  he  feast- 
ed his  eyes  upon  the  schooner,  examining  her  in 
every  part. 

"  Muddy,"  said  he,  solemnly.  **  Muddy,  yet  lively, 
and  fit  for  more  vyges,  so  soon  as  you  get  rigged 
up  and  repaired." 

"  Boys,"  he  continued,  after  a  long  silence,  stand- 
ing on  the  deck  of  the  Antelope,  and  addressing  his 
young  friends,  — "  boys,  you  onman  me,  an  the 
aged  Corbet  relapses  intew  a  kine  o'  second  child- 
hood, for  I  hed  given  her  up  for  lost.  I  hed  seen  in 
her  ruination  a  warnin  to  me  that  I  was  to  desert 
forevermore  the  rolling  ocean,  and  confind  myself 
to  hum.  But  this  here  day  an  hour  shows  me  that 
I  have  vyges  yet  in  store,  an  my  feelins  now  are 
ony  purest  jy.  For  the  Antelope  bore  me  o'er  the 
briny  deep  for  over  twenty  year,  in  sickness  and 
health,  with  taters,  an  I  always  counted  on  our 
livin  an  dyin  together.  Her  loss,  Avhen  I  thought 
her  lost,  was  terewly  a  sunderation  of  my  heart- 
strings. I  felt  her  dume  was  mine.  But  now  I 
see  her  raised  up  out  of  her  muddy  bed  of  mortial 
illness,  an  brought  up,  and  set  right  side  up,  to 
walk  the  waters  like  a  creetur  of  life,  with  taters. 
Boys,  emotion  overcomes  me.  Boys,  adoo  I  Boys, 
other  feelins  swell  within  my  busum.     Boys,  thar 


L. 


PAT  AND  THE  BABT. 


339 


ilope  —  an 
ed  form  1 " 
ditatively, 
ird.  This 
1  he  feast- 
Qg  her  in 

j^et  lively, 
et  rigged 

ice,  stand- 
sssing  his 
3,  an  the 
)nd  child- 
id  seen  in 
to  desert 
d  myself 
s  me  that 
now  are 
3  o'er  the 
:ness  and 
d  on  our 
[  thought 
oy  heart- 
lit  now  I 
•f  mortial 
ie  up,  to 
;h  taters. 
I !  Boys, 
oys,  thar 


is  one  at  home  that  demands  my  return,  —  one 
known  to  most  of  ye,  —  about  whom  I  feel  dread- 
ful anxious,  bein  as  I've  ben  and  left  him  in  onex- 
perienced  hands,  an  me  not  knowin  but  he's  cryin 
his  perecious  eyes  out  this  moment.  Boys,  adoo  1 
You  have  a  parient's  gratitood  ! " 

With  these  words  the  venerable  Corbet  left  the 
schooner,  and  after  shaking  hands  with  a  few  of 
them,  hurried  home  as  fast  as  he  could,  while  the 
boys,  feeling  now  that  their  work  was  at  length 
complete,  returned  to  the  school. 

Meanwhile  Pat  had  been  left  alone  with  the 
baby. 

Pat  knew  nothing  whatever  about  the  care  of 
6abies,  and  had  volunteered  the  charge  of  this  one 
out  of  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  never  supposing 
thut  he  would  be  called  on  to  display  any  of  the 
qualities  of  a  nurse.  In  this,  as  in  many  other 
cases,  ignorance  made  him  rash  in  his  enterprise. 

For  about  half  an  hour  all  went  on  well;  and 
Pat,  after  jogging  the  cradle  for  a  little  while,  grew 
tired,  and  amused  himself  with  looking  around  the 
room. 

But  from  these  pursuits  he  was  roused  by  a 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  baby.  Back,  then,  he 
darted  to  the  cradle,  with  a  vague  fear  that  the 
baby  would  wake,  and  began  rocking  it  vigorously. 
But  such  very  vigorous  treatment  as  this,  instead 
of  lulling  the  wakeful  infant  back  again  to  the  land 
of  sleep,  only  roused  him  the  more. 


: 


340 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND   VUt  SCHOOL. 


i  ■  i 


Pat,  therefore,  cherishing  in  his  memory  all  of 
Captain  Corbet's  directions,  did  as  he  had  been 
ordered,  and  rocked  the  cradle  harder. 

But  the  baby  only  grew  wider  awake,  and  began 
to  murmur  and  fret. 

"  Woroo  I  —  tliis'll  niver  do,  at  all,  at  all,"  said 
Pat.  "  He  towld  me  to  sing  if  it  grew  worse,  —  so 
sing  it  is,  and  here  goes." 

Whereupon  Pat  began  a  wild,  shrill,  crooning 
chant,  about  some  personage  named  Biddy  Malone, 
whose  eventful  history,  however,  he  was  not  able 
to  complete,  for  the  baby,  waking  wide  up,  began 
to  cry  very  vociferously. 

"  Sure  an  it's  all  up  wid  me  1 "  said  Pat.  "  What- 
iver  I'll  do  not  a  one  of  me  knows,  at  all,  at  all. 
He  said  if  he  got  worse  to  take  him  up.  I  don't 
know  about  it,  —  but  —  how  and  iver,  here  goes." 

So  stooping  down,  with  the  best  intentions  in 
the  world,  Pat  took  the  baby  up  in  his  arms,  and 
put  it  on  his  knee,  in  the  hope  that  this  plan  might 
succeed  in  sending  it  off  to  sleep. 

But  it  didn't  succeed  any  better  than  the  other 
plans,  for  whether  the  baby  was  fastidious  and 
didn't  like  Pat's  treatment,  or  whether  Pat  handled 
him  too  roughly,  or  whether  he  was  hungry  and 
wanted  food,  or  ill  and  wanted  nursing,  —  which- 
ever of  these  it  was,  —  certain  it  is  that  the  mo- 
ment Pat  took  him  up  he  sent  forth  a  cry  that 
struck  terror  to  Pat's  soul,  and  made  the  welkin 
ring. 


PAT   IN   TROUBLE. 


341 


y  all  of 
id  been 

d  began 

11,"  said 
se,  —  so 

jrooning 

Malone, 

not  able 

p,  began 

«  What- 
II,  at  all. 
I  don't 
B  goes." 

tions  in 
rms,  and 

n  might 

Ihe  other 

ious  and 

handled 

igry  and 

which- 

the  mo- 

|cry  that 

welkin 


"  Och,  murthcr  !  murther  !  "  said  Pat.  "  What 
iver'll  I  do  at  all  wid  it?  An  mo  to  bo  hero  lor 
more  than  two  good  hours  !  Whis-s-sh,  then,  I  toll 
ye  !  Arrah,  will  yc  nivor  be  quiet?  What'U  I  do 
at  all,  at  all.  Suro  an  he  said  to  walk  about  wid 
it.     That  same  I'll  do  this  minute." 

So  Pat  rose  from  the  chair  and  proceeded  to 
walk  about  the  room.  But  the  new  treatment  did 
no  good.  On  the  contrary,  the  baby  cried  harder. 
It  is  to  be  feared  that  Pat's  handling  was  rougher 
than  what  the  baby  had  been  accustomed  to,  and 
that  Pat's  patience  being  quite  exhausted,  pre- 
vented any  gentleness  in  his  treatmenc  of  his  ten- 
der charge.  And  so  it  was  that  the  baby  bawled, 
and  Pat  groaned,  and  was  completely  at  his  wit's 
end. 

"  Och,  but  it's  nearly  dead  an  kilt  I  am,"  cried 
Pat,  at  last.  "  What  was  it  that  he  said  to  do 
next  ?  He  said  to  sing,  and  knock  the  furniture 
about,  80  he  did.  It's  the  racket  that'll  soothe  him, 
—  deed  an  it  is,  —  and  that's  what  I'll  thry." 

With  this  Pat  began  another  song,  a  little  live- 
lier than  the  last ;  and  walking  about  the  room,  he 
began  to  knock  upon  the  furniture.  He  upset  two 
chairs,  he  beat  upon  a  tin  pan,  he  rapped  the  poker 
against  the  stove-pipe,  he  rattled  the  leaf  of  the 
table,  he  kicked  over  a  small  table  and  several 
stools,  he  rolled  tin  kettles  about  the  floor,  until  at 
last  the  room  presented  an  appearance  that  made 
it  seem  as  if  a  mad  bull  had  been  there  kicking 


"!^ 


342 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PRt   SCHOOL. 


■I 


:Uk 


indiscriminately.  But  notwithstanding  Pat's  ef 
forts,  he  could  not  succeed.  The  baby,  who  at 
first  had  been  silent  for  a  few  moments,  perhaps 
from  astonishment,  now  began  louder,  wilder,  and 
more  passionate  cries,  till  the  noise  from  those 
small  lungs  drowned  the  uproar  that  Pat  was 
making. 

^'  Och,  murther  I  "  cried  Pat,  at  last.  "  Sure  it's 
bothered  I  am,  and  dead  bate  intirely.  Whativer 
I'll  do  now  it  ud  take  more'n  me  to  tell.  Sure  an 
I've  made  all  the  noise  I  know.  What'U  I  do  now  ? 
There's  the  feed  ;  he  said  so,  he  did,  an  I'll  thry  it." 

It  was  Pat's  last  resort,  and  he  tried  it.  The 
bowl  was  there  where  Captain  Corbet  had  pointed 
it  out.  Pat  seized  it,  and  taking  the  spoon,  offered 
it  to  the  baby.  But  the  baby  treated  his  offer  with 
scorn.  He  opened  his  mouth  indeed,  but  it  was 
only  to  let  forth  a  yell  so  loud,  so  long,  and  withal 
so  passionate,  that  the  spoon  fell  fiom  Pa^'s  hands 
upon  the  floor,  while  the  bowl  which  he  had  been 
trying  to  balance  on  lus  kn -e,  followed  with  a 
crash. 

Pat  jumped  up,  still  holding  the  baby,  and  walked 
wildly  about,  singing  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and 
renewing  the  useless  racket.  He  went  to  the  door 
and  looked  wildly  down  the  road,  hoping  to  sec 
some  signs  of  Captain  Corbet,  though  timo  had  not 
yet  elapsed  sufficient  for  him  to  reach  the  schooner. 
Then  he  returned  to  the  room.  Then  he  tried  the 
cradle  again,  then  walking,  and  ag»iin  the  cradle, 
and  tbon  once  more  walking. 


H* 


MRS.    CORBET   RETURNS. 


343 


So  the  time  passed. 

At  length,  on  looking  down  the  road,  he  saw  a 
female.  She  was  walking  up  it,  and  would  soon 
come  near  the  house.  On  this  woman  he  hung  all 
his  hopes.  Perhaps  she  was  Mrs.  Corhet  herself. 
The  thought  filled  him  with  joy.  If  not,  if  she 
wus  a  stranger,  he  determined  to  arrest  her,  and 
make  her  soothe  the  frantic  child. 

The  house  stood  back  from  the  road  about  fifty 
yards.  Pat  watched  through  the  window  the  mo- 
tions of  the  approaching  female,  himself  unseen. 
She  drew  nearer.  At  last  her  ears  caught  the 
cries  of  the  baby.  Her  brows  contracted.  She 
walked  faster.  She  reached  the  gate.  She 
turned   in. 

"It's  herself!"  cried  Pat. 

He  sprang  to  the  cradle,  and  laid  the  screaming 
child  inside.  Then  he  sprang  to  the  back  door, 
and,  closing  it,  stood  outside,  peeping  through  the 
key-hole  to  see  the  result. 

The  woman  entered  with  surprise  on  her  face. 
She  looked  all  around.  She  called  "  Corbet !  Cor- 
bet ! "  in  an  angry  voice.  But  no  Corbet  replied. 
Then  she  went  to  the  cradle,  and  took  the  baby  in 
her  arms,  looking  around  with  wonder  in  her  eyes. 
Then  she  soothed  the  baby,  which  speedily  became 
quiet. 

"  It's  Mrs.  Corbet  I  "  muttered  Pat.  "  It's  her- 
self!     I'm  safe  I     I'm  free  !     I'll  run  !     Hurroo  !  " 

And  with  these  words  he  skipped  away,  and 
never  stopped  till  he  reached  his  own  room. 


r 

i 

> 
i 

1 

f 

f> 


\  \ 


'('  I 


344 


THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRfi  SCHOOL. 


That  evening  the  boys,  on  their  return  to  the 
hill,  were  very  curious  to  know  how  Pat  had  fared 
with  the  baby.  Captain  Corbet  had  hinted  that 
he  had  left  his  child  under  Pat's  care,  and  many 
conjectures  had  been  made  as  to  the  success  of 
the  new  nurse.  Pat,  however,  shunned  the  public 
eye  for  that  evening,  so  that  it  was  not  until  the 
following  day  that  they  had  a  chance  of  asking 
him  about  his  experience.  At  first  Pat  fought 
them  off,  and  returned  evasive  answers ;  but  grad- 
ually he  disclosed  all.  The  curiosity  of  the  boys 
then  turned  towards  the  meeting  that  may  have 
taken  place  between  the  indignant  Mrs.  Corbet 
and  the  innocent  captain  on  his  return.  But  of 
the  nature  of  that  meeting  they  were  destined  to 
remain  in  ignorance.  All  was  left  to  conjecture, 
and  such  powerful  imaginations  as  theirs  supplied 
them  with  many  vivid  fancy  sketches  of  scenes 
wherein  figured  the  justly  irate  wife,  and  the  in- 
jured, yet  forbearing,  Corbet. 

Time  passed  on,  until  at  length  one  afternoon  a 
thrill  of  excitement  was  thrown  over  the  play- 
ground by  the  appearance  of  Corbet  himself. 
Like  all  popular  favorites,  he  was  received  with 
an  uproarious  greeting.  He  accepted  the  tribute 
with  a  mild  and  pensive  countenance,  and  by  his 
manner  showed  that  something  unusual  was  going 
to  take  place.  What  that  was  they  soon  learned. 
With  a  moistened  eye,  and  not  without  emotion, 
he  informed  them  that  he  was  shortly  about  to 


-. 


ANOTHER  VOYAGE. 


345 


m- 


leave  them,  and  had  come  down  for  the  especial 
purpose  of  biddmg  them  good  by. 

This  announcement  was  received  with  astonish- 
ment and  sorrow.  Upon  further  questioning  they 
learned  that  he  was  going  to  take  a  cargo  of  po- 
tatoes to  Boston. 

"  Yes,  boys,"  said  he,  mournfully,  "  the  aged 
Corbet  must  again  become  a  wanderer  with  taters, 
his   home   the   heavin  billow,  an  his   destination 
Bosting.     An  individool  of  his  years  mought  have 
hoped  to  rest  his  aged  bones  under  his  own  roof 
a  nussin  of  his  babby ;  but  Fate  an  the  wife  of  his 
boosum  stud  clean  agin  it,  tickerlarly  the  latter, 
bein  a  high  sperrit  an  given  to  domineerin.     So  it 
hev  kem  abeout  that  sence  the  resurrection  of  the 
schewner  she  have  fairly  druv  me  from  my  natyve 
hearthstun,  to  temp  the  dangerous  wave,  an  cross 
the  briny  main.     Hence  my  departoor  with  taters. 
All  air  ready.     My  boat  air  on  the  shore,  an  my 
bark  air  on  the  sea.    Not  that  I  regret  the  restora- 
tion of  the  schewner.    I  may  be  sundered  far  from 
my  babby,  but  this  I  will  say,  that  in  the  cabing 
of  the  Antelope  reigns  peace  !    Ef  I  can't  press 
my  babby  in  my  parential  arms,  I  can  hold  his 
image  in  my  pinin  boosum.     Besides,  I  can  mrke 
money  for  his  footoor  years,  which,  sence  I've  ben 
disappinted  in  the  Frenchman's  money-hole,  ain't 
to  be  sneezed  at.    Ony  when  any  of  youns  goes  an 
gits  married,  as  some  of  you  may  some  time  dew, 
—  take  the  word  of  an  exile,  and  look  out  for 

TEMPER  1  " 


I 

♦ 

} 

;      1     ■ 
!. 

i 


]         »i 

t  ' 

I-- 

■'!• 

1, 

i  ■ 
1 

346 


THE  BOYS  OP  GRAND  PR6  SCHOOL. 


Here  Captain  Corbet  paused,  and  appeared  some- 
what agitated.  He  then  prepared  to  bid  them 
farewell.  But 'the  boys  would  not  listen  to  this. 
His  farewell  should  take  place  elsewhere.  He  was 
goin^  to  leave  on  the  next  day ;  and  as  that  day 
was  Saturday,  they  promised  to  be  down  at  the 
wharf  to  see  him  o£f. 

The  schooner  was  to  sail  in  the  afternoon,  and 
all  the  boys  were  on  the  spot  punctually,  imme- 
diately after  dinner.  Soon  Corbet  made  his  ap- 
pearance. The  meek,  the  gentle,  and  the  venerable 
navigator  looked  upon  them  all  with  a  mournful 
smile. 

"  You  know  the  song  you  made,  boys  ?  "  said  he, 
sadly,— 

"  Should  Captain  Corbet  be  forgot, 
A  sailing  o'er  the  sea, — 

wal  —  don't  forget  me." 

^'  Never,"  cried  Bart,  as  he  grasped  his  hand  in 
farewell.  The  melancholy  captain  then  went  round, 
and  shook  hands  with  all  of  them  in  silence.  Then 
he  went  on  board  of  his  schooner.  The  Antelope 
had  been  renovated.  All  the  traces  of  her  mishap 
had  been  obliterated.  A  coat  of  neat  coal  tar 
covered  her  fair  outlines.  Another  coat  of  grease 
adorned  her  tapering  masts.  Sundry  patches  were 
here  and  there  visible  on  her  flowing  sails.  That 
hold  which  had  once  carried  the  boys  over  Minas 
Bay  was  now  filled  with  potatoes.  The  tide  was 
high  and  on  the  turn.    The  wind  was  fair.    Corbet 


DEPARTURE  OP  THE  ANTELOPE. 


347 


took  the  helm.  The  man  Wade,  whose  old  'oman's 
name  was  Gipson,  who  had  been  mate  on  their 
memorable  cruise,  sailed  now  with  Captaia  Corbet 
in  the  following  capacities :  — 

1st  mate, 

2d  mate, 

Steward, 

Carpenter, 

Cook, 

Cabin  boy, 

Boatswain, 

Boatswain's  matOj, 

Crew. 

The  lines  were  cast  off. 

The  Antelope  caught  the  breeze,  and  yielding  at 
the  same  moment  to  the  tide,  she  movetl  away  from 
the  land,  and  down  the  tortuous  channel  of  Mud 
Creek. 

The  boys  followed  along  the  banks  of  the  creek 
till  they  reached  its  mouth.  Here  they  stood  in 
silence. 

Outside,  a  thick  veil  of  fog  covered  the  water, 
and  hid  all  the  scene  from  view. 

The  Antelope  sailed  on,  and,  passing  the  boys, 
entered  the  water  beyond.  The  boys  tossed  up 
their  hats,  and  breaking  the  solemn  silence,  sent 
over  the  water  loud  shouts  of  good  by. 

The  shout  reached  the  ears  of  the  captain.  He 
turned.     His  mild  face  was  visible  for  a  fev/  mo- 


"-"""^pp 


348 


THE   BOYS   OF   GRAND    PRE   SCHOOL. 


ments  as  he  waved  his  hand  again  and  again  in 
token  of  adieu. 

Then  he  turned  again. 

And  so  the  boys  stood  there  watching,  until  at 
last  the  Antelope  entered  a  thick  fog  bank,  and 
bore  the  captain  slowly  away  from  their  gaze. 


il 


1  If 


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9.  Brought  to  the  Front,  or  the  Young  Defenders     By  Elijah 

Kellogg 
ta    Burying  the  Hatchet,  or  the  Young  Brave  of  the  Delawares 
By  Elijah  Kellogg 

11.  Cast  Away  in  the  Cold    By  Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes 

12.  Charlie  Bell  the  Waif  of  Elm  Island    By  Elijah  KeUogg 

13.  Child  of  the  Island  Glen    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

14»  Crossing  the  Quicksands    By  Samuel  W.  Cozzens 

15.  Cruise  of  the  Casco    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

16.  Fire  in  the  Woods    By  Prof.  James  DeMille 

17.  Fisher  Boys  of  Pleasant  Cove    By  Elijah  Kellogg; 

18.  Forest   Glen,   or    the   Mohawk's    Friendship      By  Elijab 

Kellogg 

19.  Qood  Old  Times    By  Elijah  Kellogg 


Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co.*  Boston 


AMERICAN  BOYS*  SERIES  ^  Continued 


\t^ 


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20.  fiiardscrabble  of  Elm  Island    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

21.  Haste  or  Waste,  or  the  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlaln 

By  Oliver  Optic 

22.  Hope  and  Have    By  Oliver  Optic 

26.    In  School  and  Out,  or  the  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant    By 

Oliver  Optic 
24.    John  Oodsoe's  Legacy    By  Elijah  Kellogg 
2.";.    Just  His  Luck    By  Oliver  Optic 

26.  Lion  Ben  of  Elm  Island    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

27.  Little  by  Little,  or  the  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway    By  Oliver 

Optic 

28.  Live  Oak  Boys,  or  the  Adventures  of  Richard  Constable 

Afloat  and  Ashore    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

29.  Lost  in  the  Fog     By  Prof.  James  DeMille 

30.  Mission    of    Black    Rifle,   or    On    the    Trail      By    Elijah 

Kellogg 

31.  Now  or  Never,  or  the  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright    By 

Oliver  Optic 

32.  Poor  and  Proud,  or  the  Fortunes  of  Kate  Redburn    By 

Oliver  Optic 

33.  Rich  and  Humble,  or  the  flission  of  Bertha  Grant     By 

Oliver  Optic 

34.  Sophomores  of  Radcliffe,  or  James  Trafton  and  His  Boston 

Friends    By  Elijah  Kellogg 
3$.    Sowed  by  the  Wind,  or  the  Poor  Boy's  Fortune    By  Elijah 
Kellogg 

36.  5park  of  Genius,  or  the  College  Life  of  James  Trafton    6} 

Elijah  Kellogg 

37.  Stout  Heart,  or  the  Student  from  Over  the  Sea    By  Elijah 

Kellogg 

38.  Strong  Arm  and  a  flother's  Blessing    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

39.  Treasure  of  the  Sea     By  Prof.  James  DeMille 

40.  Try  Agailo,  or  the  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  West    By 

Oliver  Optic 
41*    Turning  of  the  Tide,  or  Radcliffe  Rich  and  his  Patients    By 
Elijah  Kellogg 

42,    Unseen  Hand,  or  James  Renf^w  and  His  Boy  Helpers    By 

Elijah  KeUogg 


Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  G)**  Boston 


AMERICAN  BOYS*  SBRIBS  —  Continued 


lamplaln 
rant    Bf 


By  Oliver 
lonstablr 

By  EUjah 
right  By 
burn  By 
rant  By 
s  Boston 

By  EUjab 
ifton    6} 

By  EUjab 

ogg 

Vest  By 

tents  By 

pers  By 

ston 


43.    Watch  and  Waft,  or  the  Young  Fugitives    By  Oliver  Optic 
14.    Whispering  Pine,  or  the  Graduates  olf  Radciiffe    By  Elijah 
Kellogg 

45.  Winning  His  Spurs,  or  Henry  ilorton's  First  Trial    By 

Elijah  Kellogg 

46.  Woif   Run,    or  the    Boys   of   the   Wilderness     By  Elijat 

Kellogg 

47.  Woric  and  Win,  or  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise    by  Olics; 

Optic 

48.  Young  Deliverers  of  Pleasant  Cove    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

49.  Young  Shipbuilders  of  Elm  Island    By  Elijah  Kellogg 

50.  Young  Trail  Hunters    By  Samuel  W.  Cozzens 

51.  Field  and  Forest,  or  the  Fortunes  of  a  Farmer     By  Oliver 

Optic 

52.  Outward  Bound,  or  Young  America  Afloat    By  Oliver  Optic 

53.  The  Soldier  Boy,  or  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army    By  Oiivei 

Optic 

54.  The  Starry  Flag,  or  the  Young  Fisherman  of  Cape  Ann    By 

Oliver  Optic 

55.  Through  by  Daylight,  or  the  Young  Engineer  of  the  Lake 

Shore  Railroad    By  Oliver  Optic 

56.  Cruises  with  Captain  Bob  around  the  Kitchen  Fire    By  B.  P. 

Shillaber  (Mrs,  Partington) 

57.  The  Double-Runner  Club,  or  the  Lively  Boys  of  Rivertown 

By  B.  P.  Shillaber  (Mrs.  Partington) 

58.  Ike  Partington  and  His  Friends,  or  the  Humors  of  a  Human 

Boy     By  B.  P.  Shillaber  (Mrs.  Partington) 

59.  .ocke  Amsden  the  Schoolmaster    By  Judge  D.  P.  Thompson 

60.  u'he  Rangers     By  Judge  D.  P.  Thompson 

61.  The  Qreen  Mountain  Boys    By  Judge  D.  P.  Thompson 

62.  A  Missing  Million,  or  the  Adventures  of  Louis  Belgrave 

By  Oliver  Optic 

63.  A  Millionaire  at  Sixteen,  or  the  Cruise  of  the  «*  Ouardlan 

Mother  **     By  Oliver  Optic 

64.  A  Young  Knight  Errant,  or  Cruising  In  the  West  Indies 

By  Oliver  Optir 

65.  Strange  Sights  Abroad,  or  Adventures  in  European  Waters 

By  Oliver  Optic 


Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co»,  Boston 


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AMBRiCAN  BOYS'   SERIES —Continued 


The  Life  of  Gen.  Sherman    By  P.  C. 
The  Life  and  Deeds  of  Qen. 


66.  Facing  the  Enemy 

Headley 

67.  Fight  it  Out  on  This  Line 

Grant     By  P.  C.  Headley 

68.  Fighting  Phii    The  Life  of  Gen.  Sheridan    By  P.  C.  Headley 

69.  Oid  Salamander    The  Life  of  Admiral  Farragut    By  P.  C. 

Headley 

70.  Old  Stars    The  Life  of  Gen.  Mitchei    By  P.  C.  Headley 

71.  The  Miner  Boy  and  His  Monitor    The  Career  ok  J{jhn 

Ericsson,  Engineer    By  P.  C.  Headley 

72.  The  Young  Silver  Seekers    By  Samuel  W.  Cozzens 

73.  Drake  the  Sea  King  of  Devon     By  George  Makepeace  Towle 

74.  Magellan,  or  the  First  Voyage  around  the  World     By  G.  M.  Towle 

75.  flarco  Polo,  His  Travels  and  Adventures    By  G.  M.  Towle 

76.  Pizarro,  His  Adventures  and  Conquests    By  G.  M.  Towle 

77.  Raleigh,  His  Voyages  and  Adventures    By  George  M.  Towle 

78.  Vasco  da  Gama,  His  Voyages  and  Adventures     By  G.  M.  Towle 

79.  The  Heroes  and  Hartyrs  of  Invention    By  George  M.  Towle 

80.  Live  Boys,  or  Charlie  and  Nasho  in  Texas.     By  A.  Morecamp 

81.  Live  Boys  in  the  Black  Hills     By  Arthur  Morecamp 

82.  Down  the  West  Branch    By  Capt.  C.  A.  J.  Farrar 

83.  Eastward  Ho  I     By  Capt.  C.  A.  J.  Farrar 

84.  Up  the  North  Branch    By  Capt.  C.  A.  J.  Farrar 

85.  Wild  Woods  Life    By  Capt.  C.  A.  J.  Farrar 

86.  Child  of  the  Tide     By  Mrs.  E.  D.  Cheney 

87.  The  Boys  of  Thirty-Five    By  E.  H.  Elwell 

88.  Perseverance  Island    By  Douglas  Frazar 

89.  Going  West     By  Oliver  Optic 
9c.  Little  Bobtail     By  Oliver  Optic 

91.  Fore  and  Aft     By  Robert  B.  Dixon 

92.  Pocket  Island     By  Charles  Clark  Munn 

93.  Donald's  School  Days    By  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard 

94.  Henry  in  the  War    By  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard 

95.  All  Adrift     By  Oliver  Optic 

NEW  TITLES  ADDED  IN   1906 

96.  Aguinaldo's  Hostage    By  H.  Irving  Hancock 

97.  Six  Young  Hunters     By  W.  Gordon  Parker 

98.  Grant  Burton     By  W.  Gordon  Parker 

99.  Rival  Boy  Sportsmen    By  W.  Gordon  Parker 
100.  Up  the  Baltic     By  Oliver  Optic 

Lothropi  Lee  &  Shepard  Co*,  Boston 


By  P.  C. 

of  Qen. 

Headley 
By  P.  C. 

ley 

I'if  JoSin 


Towle 
[.  Towle 
Towle 
Towle 
^T.  Towle 
Towle 
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mp 


THE  BOY  CRAFTSMAN 


Practical  and  Profitable  Ideas  for  a  Boy'i 
Leisure  Hours 


By  A.  NEELY  HALL 

Illustrated    with    over   400 
working  drawings    8vo 


diagrams    and 
Price,  $2.00 

TT  VERY  real  boy  wishes  to  design  and  make 
*-^  things,  but  the  questions  of  materials  and 
tools  are  often  hard  to  get  around.  Nearly  all 
books  on  the  subject  call  for  a  greater  outlay  of 
money  than  is  within  the  means  of  many  boys, 
or  their  parents  wish  to  expend  in  such  ways. 
In  this  book  a  number  of  chapters  give  sugges- 
tions for  carrying  on  a  small  business  that  will 
bring  a  boy  in  money  with  which  to  buy  tools 
and  materials  necessary  for  making  apparatus 
and  articles  described  in  other  chapters,  while 
the  ideas  are  so  practical  that  many  an  indus- 
trious boy  can  learn  what  he  is  best  fitted  for  in  his  life  work.  No  work 
of  its  class  is  so  completely  up-to-date  or  so  worthy  in  point  of  thorough- 
ness and  avoidance  of  danger.  The  drawings  are  profuse  anci  excellent, 
and  every  feature  of  the  booh  is  first-class.  It  tells  how  to  make  a  boy's 
workshop,  how  to  handle  tools,  and  what  can  be  made  with  them;  how 
to  start  a  printing  shop  and  conduct  an  amateur  newspaper,  how  to 
make  photographs,  build  a  log  cabin,  a  canvas  canoe,  a  gymnasium,  a 
miniature  theatre,  and  many  other  things  dear  to  the  soul  of  youth. 

We  cannot  imagine  a  more  delightful  present  for  a  boy  than  this  book.— « 
Churchman,  N.  2". 

Every  boy  should  have  this  book.  It's  a  practical  book  —  it  gets  right  next  to 
the  boy's  heart  and  stays  there.  He  will  have  it  near  him  all  the  time,  and  on  every 
page  there  is  a  'esson  or  something  that  will  stand  the  boy  in  good  need.  Beyond 
a  doubt  in  its  line  this  is  one  of  the  cleverest  books  on  the  market.  —  Providence 
News. 

If  a  boy  has  any  sort  of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind,  his  parents  should  see  that 
he  has  this  book.  —  Boston  Journal. 

This  is  a  book  that  will  do  boys  good.  —  Buffalo  Express. 

The  boy  who  will  not  find  this  book  a  mine  of  joy  and  profit  must  be  queerly 
constituted.  —  Pittsbu rgh  Gazette. 
Will  be  a  delight  to  the  boy  mechanic.  —  Watchman,  Boston, 
An  admirable  book  to  give  a  boy,  —  Newark  Nezvs. 

This  book  is  the  best  yet  offered  for  its  laige  number  of  practical  and  profitable 
ideas.  —  Milwaukee  Free  Press. 

Parents  ought  to  know  of  this  book.  —  Ne7t/  Tork  Globe. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of 

price  by  the  publishers, 

LOTHROP.    LEE    &    SHEPARD    CO.,    BOSTON 


m 


PHILLIPS    EXETER    SERIES 

By  A.  T.   DUDLEY 

Cloth,   i2ino     Illustrated  by  Charles  Copeland     Price  per  volume.  $1.25 


<^ 


FOLLOWING  THE  BALL 

HERE  is  an  up-to-date  story  presenting  American  boarding- school  life 
and  modern  athletics.  Of  course  football  is  an  important  feature, 
but  this  is  far  more  than  a  football  book.  It  is  a  story  of  character  forma- 
tion told  in  a  most  wholesome  and  manly  way.  In  this  development  ath- 
letics play  an  important  part,  to  be  sure,  but  are  only  one  feature  in  carry- 
ing the  hero,  •*  Dick  Melvin,"  on  to  a  worthy  manhood. 

'*■  Mingled  with  the  story  of  football  is  another  and  hieher  endeavor,  giving  the 
book  the  best  of  moral  tone." — Chicago  Rtcord-Htr aid, 

MAKING  THE  NINE 

THIS  story  is  lively  and  worth  telling,  and  the 
life  presented  is  that  of  a  real  school,  inter- 
esting, diversified,  and  full  of  striking  incidents, 
while  the  characters  are  true  and  consistent  types  of 
American  boyhood  and  youth.  The  athletics  are 
technically  correct,  abounding  in  helpful  sugges- 
tions, ndly  and  wisely  given,  and  the  moral  tone 
i »  high  and  set  by  action  rather  than  preaching. 

•*  The  story  is  healthful,  for,  while  it  exalts  athletics,  it 
does  not  overlook  the  fact  that  studious  habits  Jind  noble 
character  are  imperative  needs  for  those  who  would  win 
success  in  life."  —  Herald  and  Presbyter ,  Cincinnati. 


IN  THE  LINE 

TELLS  how  a  stalwart  young  student  won 
his  position  as  guard,  and  at  the  same  time 
made  equally  marked  progress  in  the  formation 
of  character.  It  introduces  the  leading  argu- 
ments for  and  against  football  in  connection 
with  the  difHculties  to  be  overcome  before  the 
hero's  father  finally  consents  to  allow  his  son  to 
represent  his  academy  in  this  way. 

"The  book  gives  boys  an  interestin^f  story,  much 
football  information,  and  many  lessons  in  true  manli- 
ness. " —  Watchman^  Boston, 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  postpaid  on  receii  t  of  price 

by  the  publishers, 

LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  CO.,  BOSTON 


f 


SEMES 


per  volume.  $1 .25 

\.Lh 

boarding-school  life 
I  important  feature, 

of  character  forma- 
ts development  ath- 
3ne  feature  in  carry- 
ad. 

endeavor,  giving  the 

C  NINE 

jrth  telling,  and  the 

L  real  school,  inter- 

:  striking  incidents, 

d  consistent  types  of 

The  athletics  are 

in  helpful  sugges- 

and  the  moral  tone 

than  preaching. 

le  it  exalts  athletics,  it 
dious  iiabits  and  noble 
those  who  would  win 
esbyter,  Cincinnatim 


INTHE^^^E 

A.T.  DUDLEY 


eceii  t  of  price 

).,    BOSTON 


